Last Bell
by King Cheetah
Summary: Raven and Jinx are excited at the prospects for thier Senior year, but something about the world around them seems...off. Jinx x Beast Boy I live for reviews
1. Chapter 1

Last Bell by King Cheetah

Part One - Homeroom

I own nothing related to Teen Titans... darn it. Rated PG-13 for the fact that Robin just can't keep his hands off of Raven. R/R and BB/Jinx pairings. I live for reviews.

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"GAR!" yelled his sister, "Mom said get up NOW!"

Beast Boy buried his face deeper into the pillow, "Get out of my room, Taffy! I'm up."

"Mom's not foolin', you better get up!" she said, scooping up a stray sock and pelting him with it.

"Get out of my room. I'M UP!" he said, and almost believed it. Closing the door to his bedroom, Beast Boy could hear his sister yelling, "Mom, he's not getting up!"

Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes and thought that this was not a very auspicious first day of his senior year. Staggering to his bathroom, he paused a moment before facing the mirror, and ask himself the same question he did every morning; "Is this the face you want Jinx to wake up to?". Fair skinned and freckled, as was the genetic burden of his family, his rust red hair was close cropped and unruly. The summer of toiling for his father had given him a physique that while not quite rivaling Robin's, was at least nipping at his heels. Sighing, he wheezed, "Needs work..." and shuffled listlessly towards the shower.

Cleaned and dressed in record time, he was down to breakfast just as his mother was putting the first stack of hotcakes on the plate. It was from her that he'd inherited much of his highlander good looks though his father had chipped in his piercing green eyes. Good mornings all around, he slumped into his chair and fished his PDA out of his backpack. Hmmmm, talk to Cyborg about the party on Friday, collect for his last two DJ gigs, check with Mike about a new mixing board, and oh yes, find a little present for Jinx...

"Um, hey pops, I got a few more gigs to get paid for, but can I bring the car into the shop to have the guys look over the transmission? I don't like the feeling in 2nd, and it grinds a little going into first." Logan-Kline Motors was the biggest car dealership in town, and while he had to pay for any work at the service center, Beast Boy enjoyed premium service and being moved to the head of the line by his dad's mechanics. The car had only cost him $900.00 when he got it and a day did not pass that he didn't thank all those forces greater than himself at just what a sweet deal it was. He and Robin's hard work plus another grand, and the beast was almost back to it's prime.

Grinning, Beast Boy's father turned to his twin sisters and said, "Okay, did you hear that? Your brother went out and earned his OWN MONEY to take care of his OWN CAR that he bought with his OWN MONEY. Now, isn't there something you two might learn from him?" The patriarch of the Logan clan was Rob Roy stuffed into a suit and love handles, the fire in his belly more from ulcers granted him in the noble cause of used cars and sales.

"Yeah," said Nannette, "How to be a dork."

"Yeah dork." added Taffy, taking her weight in hotcakes.

"Girls, don't call your brother a dork at breakfast." cautioned their mother, gliding wraithlike through breakfast, food seeming to appear from out of no where onto plates.

Beast Boy's twin sisters were the spitting image of their mother and exhibited that creepy twin behavior you see a lot on the Sci-Fi Channel. Once described as "rambunctious" by someone who'd evidently never met them in the freckled flesh, this would be their freshmen year at Julius Schwartz Memorial High School, and Beast Boy braced himself for the devastation they might cause in the coming months. Dressing like Japanese pop singers, they were a social hydrogen bomb with no fail-safe.

"Oh yeah, am I a dork when you two mall bunnies need a ride out to Westgate?" asked Beast Boy as he buttered his wheat toast to within an inch of it's life.

"Yeah," said Nannette, "But then you're a dork with a car."

"Yeah dork." added Taffy, attempting an encore with the hotcakes.

By now, his father was in full retreat behind the Wallstreet Journal, as his mother continued to shovel hotcakes at the village idiots of the damned. No allies in sight, discretion was indeed the better part of valor, so he opted to punch out.

"That's it, I'm SO outta here." he said, grabbing up his toast, "Mom, I have to stop by Mike's after school, but I shouldn't be too long." and kissed her cheek.

Taffy's green eyes shot wide open, "But we're not ready to go yet! Mom, make him wait."

"Welcome to the wonderful world of public transportation, mutants. Sucks to be you." he grinned as he jiggled his car keys.

Leaving their wails of outrage in his wake, he headed out to the garage to the second most important thing in his life, the first being a certain gothie waif with eyes that made his heart flutter. It was old and rebuilt twice, but it was his. The Mustang was a mid 90's model, black, worn but well loved. With a turn of the key, he and Robin's hard work over the summer bore fruit, the engine roaring to life with a sound that one normally associates with NASA, then settled into a deep tiger-like purr. Closing his eyes, he smiled and thought that all things considered, his life was pretty okay.

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Raven bit her lip as she tried to narrow her lunch selections down to just four salads. In a flurry of cooking the previous evening that would have done an Iron Chef proud, she'd concocted six different pasta salads for she and her mother to brown bag over the coming week. But now, faced with six salads and only four Rubbermaid containers, it was a bit like deciding who got to stay in the lifeboat. Chicken salad and club crackers were a sure thing, as was black bean, but from there her mind fell into a Sargasso of options.

"You know," her mother said smoothly, "There's more than enough to share. Perhaps you should call Jinx and see what she might like to try. Just a thought."

Raven scowled, but said nothing. Mother and daughter were studies in contrast. Raven while very much her mother's daughter, had sought to augment what deficiencies that mirrors revealed with jewelry, make-up, and attitude. Thoughtful and surprisingly introspective for an eighteen year old, she was an academic fury for whom knowledge was a foe to be subdued and humiliated. Her mother on the other hand was placid and serene, a calm sea to her daughter's gale winds. Her beauty was soft, natural and unenhanced, as her need to impress anyone were many miles back in the rearview mirror. Both were slim, dark haired, and ever so slightly exotic, though they differed on how they interpreted that data.

Sighing, her mother said, "So, still not speaking, eh? I would have thought that you two would have made up by the first day of school. Have you even talked to her?"

"Hey, it wasn't MY fault! I have NOTHING to apologize to her for. If anything, she-"

"Raven," her mother soothed, "You two have been best friends since what, the fifth grade? Is being right more important than being friends? Seven years of the two of you terrifying your peers seems like a lot to throw away over one little argument."

Again, Raven was silent, but reflective. "I'll talk to her." she finally said softly. Kissing her mother good-bye, she made for the front door, stopping long enough for a quick look in the hallway mirror. The hot pink highlights to her bangs turned out better than she'd hoped, and despite the bad bulb in her bathroom, her makeup was flawless, the black lipstick accenting her deep olive skin nicely. And in spite of all of their big talk and threats, neither she nor Jinx were brave enough to get anything other than their ears pierced, though five to each ear took some of the sting out of their fashion retreat.

No sooner had she closed the door, than she looked up to see Jinx standing at the foot of her driveway. She could best be described as Raven, only less so. Dark skinned and oriental in complexion, her eyes were large, lovely and full of mischief. A head shorter than Raven, she was petite and small breasted, not that this had diminished Beast Boy's fascination with her. Nervously shifting from foot to foot, she'd obviously been waiting for Raven for some time, and gave a hopeful little smile when she realized that she'd been seen. Waving, Raven trotted over to hug her partner in fashion crimes and begin a new school year. Life is good, she thought.

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"To be or not to be..." whispered Robin. With the new school year he'd promised himself that he'd get both his life and his bedroom in order, and oddly the latter turned out to be the harder of the two. Over the summer, when not at their jobs, he and Beast Boy moved all of his stuff out into the room addition off the garage, painted it, laid new carpeting, and built shelves for the mountain of bric-a-brac that he'd accumulated over time. A world made new, the only nod to the past in evidence would be a picture of his parents, with only two photos out of a stack of forty-one having made the final cut.

One was a gorgeous color photo of his mother and father from their first anniversary, young and vibrant, while the second one was a grainy color photo of he and his parents at the beach on some long ago summer afternoon. He was five then, and had been told that this photo was taken a week before they had died in the explosion. Ironically, Robin couldn't remember this day at all. Likewise, the bright young face that grinned back at him, sea shells presented for inspection was nothing that he could now identify with. He would probably go with the first picture as this one seemed to bare no relationship to the reality that he lived in. He cast a quick glance to the mirror above his dresser, his own weary brown eyes looking back into himself.

He was tall, lean and hard bodied, years of silent rage focused into a single vocation, making his meteoric raise to the leadership of the schools championship martial arts team not much of a mystery at all. Sullen and brooding, he struck most people as pleasant but aloof, saving his true self for a chosen few, friend and foe alike. In those rare moments of release, he was volcanic and focused, a machine given totally to the task at hand, be it mayhem or competition. Like the engine of Beast Boy's beloved Mustang, he was a series of carefully controlled explosions, but like that engine, when not engaged, he was cold and still, his ennui filling what hours busy work couldn't.

From inside the house, his aunt Beth called him to breakfast. Setting the two pictures on his bed, he grabbed his book bag and trotted along the gravel pathway leading up to the main house, and stepped jauntily into the kitchen.

"G'morning. Sorry, but I was straightening up a little." he said as Beth handed him a plate of eggs over easy and sausage links. Looking around, it suddenly occurred to him that the house was unusually quiet, given it's newest occupants.

"Where are Tara and Kori?" he asked between bites.

"Your uncle had some business downtown and gave the girls a ride. He thought you'd be taking your motorbike in to school anyway." she said as she prepared to do the morning dishes. He nodded absently, concentrating on his meal.

"Um Tim, I know Ben said to give the girls some distance, but if... if you really wanted to ask one of them out, I don't think any harm would come of it. In fact, I think Miss Kori has something of a crush on you. Ah... just thought I'd mention it." she smiled.

He nodded, but was screaming inside. Terra and Starfire were foreign exchange students rooming with his folks for their senior year, and what at first seemed like heaven, soon enough went south. Both were slim, buxom and pretty with pleasant and inquisitive natures, but it was there that his fascination with them ended. At first seen as beatific angels, they soon enough revealed themselves to be demonettes sent to further torment him, his few attempts at conversation having been verbal root canals, and their obsessive desire to be on the school cheerleading squad made him want to drink paint thinner. They seemed better suited to hang out at the mall with Beast Boy's sisters than debate the merits of William Gibson's "Mona Lisa Overdrive".

"I... I think it's better I let them meet some nice guys at school. I'll be okay." he said softly.

Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he began the long walk to school. While he could have taken his motorcycle, he wanted a bit of quiet time to think, and the walk would give that in spades. The morning air was sweet and dew filled, while the air was just warm enough to remind you to enjoy it while you could.

Jumptown. This sleepy little community had been his home all his life, and a good one at that. Mostly suburbs, it lack all of the strife of city life you see on the news, but not so backwater as to make you regret it. Barnes & Nobles, four Starbucks, and a cyber cafe were sure signs that this town had inadvertently stumbled face first into the twenty-first century. Senior year, the end of high school, and then... what? College? His uncle Ben was more than willing to front him the cash to attend state university, but to what end? Even at this late stage of the game, he hadn't the slightest idea what he wanted to do with his life.

So engrossed in wool gathering was he, that he didn't even notice the car until the second honk of the horn. Turning, he saw Beast Boy in the very Mustang that had occupied so much of their free time over the summer.

"Hey Bro, where's your bike?" he called out of the passenger side window.

"Uh, just felt like walking today. How's she running?"

"Get your ass inside and see. " He grinned, popping the door for Robin.

The drive was an easy, relaxed affair and Robin felt a small swell of pride at the work they'd put into getting this bucket humming. He hadn't seen Beast Boy in a couple of weeks, so some catching up was in order. The car, his sisters, Jinx, thoughts of the new year, Jinx, politics, Jinx, Jinx...

It was good to see nothing had changed, Robin thought to himself.

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Banal pleasantries behind them, Raven and Jinx walked towards school, the peace broken by occasional almost conversations. Their argument had only lasted seven minutes, but their silence had lasted most of the summer, and this gapping hole in their friendship troubled Raven. In and of itself, the fight was over something so trivial that neither girl could remember what it was exactly, but they'd both defended their position like the Alamo. Neither could think of exactly how to jump-start the friendship again, both fearing an accidental rekindling of the mystery disagreement. Raven cast a few cautious sideways glances towards Jinx, waiting for inspiration or some act of divine intervention.

I'm sorry Jinx...

"Soooooo... um, how was your summer?" Raven asked as if she were defusing a bomb.

"Oh... um, fine. I kept busy." said Jinx softly but with little enthusiasm.

Jinxsie, I'm sooooooo sorry about all this...

"Ah yeah, me too. You... you were hanging out with Gar?" she asked with a little more energy.

"Huh? Uh, no... unfortunately I didn't see much of Gar." Jinx said, a new shade of sadness added to the picture. "He was working for his dad all summer. Y'know how he is about that car."

Jinx, it was my fault. I'm really sorry we fought...

"Oh yeah. He loves that stupid car all right, heh... yeah." said Raven, feigning mirth.

"I... I had some time so I gave myself a little research project. Y'know, the thrill of the chase and all that." she smiled, and for real this time.

Hey Jinxie, I'm really sorry about what happened...

"Oh really? What'd you cook up this time?" asked Raven with genuine interest. Jinx was usually rather lethargic in matters academic, but once roused, had a stoat's tenacity in pursuing information, much to her friend's delight.

"The history of the school, and by that I mean the building itself." she said with a wicked grin.

Y'know, friends like us are bigger than any ten fights! Sorry about all this Jinx...

"The building? What's so great about that pile of bricks?" she asked.

"Dig this," said Jinx with a sly grin, "The building itself was built back in the early thirties by a group called the Howard Westgate Institute for Ultimate Human Achievement, this think tank and kinda sorta hospital. Never heard of them? Not surprising when you consider that the entire bunch of them were rounded up in World War Two as Nazi sympathisers and packed off to an internment camp in Kansas."

"No way!" grinned Raven, "Nazis in THIS podunk town? Cool!"

"Oh it gets better. This foundation's goals were all high minded and couched in flowery language, but boiled down to a eugenics lab, plain and simple. When they got busted, it turned out that everyone connected to this joint was just sticky with Nazi connections overseas." Jinx paused for effect, "And the whole bunch of them were implicated in the disappearance of almost a hundred transients. Evidently, many unpleasant things were going on there. VERY unpleasannt things..."

"Unbelievable." smiled Raven.

"After that, it was all hushed up at the state level, and the building turned into a military hospital to help out in the war effort, y'know try and whitewash it in good works. The specialized in serious trauma and burn treatment and it probably would have just settled into that duty were it not for a certain... "incident" out in Arizona." cooed Jinx cryptically. "Y'see, just like the Axis powers, the US and Canada were cooking up a few wonder weapons of their own. This Canadian researcher named Cecil Poufries was working on something like a death ray out in a remote army base in the deserts of Arizona, y'know real Tesla-tech. Everything was running smoothly until something... happened."

"Happened? Not an accident?" asked Raven cocking an eyebrow.

"Maybe yes, maybe no. Accounts vary. Be that as it may, if you look at a map of that area from before August of 1943, it shows Brigsmire Army Air Base and about a dozen or so towns in the surounding area. However..." again Jinx made with the drama, "AFTER August 1943, there's NOTHING in a hundred mile radius of that spot."

"Holy crap! What happened?"

Jinx shrugged, "Who knows? Even by wartime standards, this thing was hushed up. BUT... about the same time about three dozen VERY messed up soldiers were admitted to the Candice Updike Memorial Hospital, the very place were your naked butt prints still adorn a section of the bleachers."

"Hey, nothing was ever proven." grinned Raven.

"These poor wretches were proving to be such a handful, that the fascility was pretty much turned over to just taking care of them full time. Now, when I say messed up, I mean REALLY messed up. Some of these guys barely looked human any more and on top of that they were all raving mad, but this sort of thing evidently went on a lot in World War Two. Now, it would have been one thing if these poor guys were taken care of as they lived out their last days, but a certain Col. Hubbert Connely became obsessed with them. Even he couldn't find out what had happened to them, but he saw the results. He started out at first just studying them, but... after a while he started to experiment on them. Y'know, to try and figure this all out."

"What! He was... experimenting on these poor guys? Yikes."

"Uh huh. Word is, he went from trying to figure out what had happened to them, to... well, trying to REPLICATE it. The government finally caught wind of what was going on and shut him down." Jinx sighed. "Then in 1961, the building was completely renovated into the Julius Shwartz Memorial High School."

"Whoah." was all Raven could manage. "So... um, our school building was built by Nazis, then became a nut house for mutants, then became a mad scientists lab, then a school?"

"Yup."

"Whoah." said Raven again.

"Hold on." said Jinx, stopping to dig about in her backpack and after a time produced a think sheef of computer print outs that she handed to Raven.

"Jeez, there's like forty pages here."

"Fifty-one, but this is the slimmed down version. The CD version is eighty-eight pages with maps and photos." grinned Jinx with no small amount of pride.

"Jinx?"

"Yeah?"

"I was going to apologize for fighting with you, but if this is how you spent your summer, it was worth it." Raven smiled.

Laughing, Jinx said, "Yeah, well it was all your fault anyway."

"Don't start with me shortie." grinned Raven.

With a minimum of flying gravel and squealing brakes, Beast Boy parked the Mustang in the student parking lot, and gave the engine one last roar before shutting it down.

Laughing, Robin said, "Dude, is it any doubt the trannie's acting up on this beast?"

Grinning, Beast Boy said, "Mustangs are a wild breed and should be ridden accordingly. C'mon, I'll talk you around." Grabbing their bags they headed for the school green as Beast Boy explained, "My friend, this is gonna be our year. I see nothing but blue skies for the next nine months. Oh, hold on! Vic-TOOOOORRRRR!"

Across the way, Cyborg turned at the sound of his name and waved. As usual, the big man was holding court with fellow jocks, their girlfriends and hangers on, and of course, Mammoth. Slapping palms, Cyborg grinned, "Mixmaster G, the man I wanna see. We all set for Friday?"

"We're all set now, but if the Mighty Mikron can hook me up with a new board, we'll be even more set." Beast Boy smiled, knocking knuckles with Cyborg, "Hey guys, this is Timothy Drake, but he goes by Tim. We slaved away the summer to juice our rides. Tim, this is the invincible Victor Stone, titan of the gridiron and his magog, Baran Flinders. The rest of these punks don't matter." Various of the jocks looked ready to pummel Beast Boy until Mammoth spoke up, "I didn't hear him say anything untrue, did you?" as he glowered at the wannabes, who shrank back like vampires before sunlight.

"Tim Drake," said Cyborg rubbing his chin, "Aren't you the captain of the martial arts team? Yeah, I thought you looked familiar. How do we look this season?" Cyborg was big enough as it stood, but the shear presence of the young man made him appear half again larger. Forceful and confident, his dark face spoke of Nubian royalty and warrior princes.

"Well, I'm certified for my black belt in three weeks, and looking over my team so far, I'd say state finals at a minimum." said Robin with a casual air.

Cyborg turned and addressed the wannabes, "Okay, you hear that people? That is the voice of a winner! He knows his team, he's got a goal, he's got a plan. Learn from him!" Turning back to address Robin, "I don't know if baggy britches here told you," he said pointing to Beast Boy, "But I'm throwing a little get together this Friday. I want you there."

Nodding, Robin smiled, "Done, thanks for the invite. I need to bring anything?"

"Attitude and a date." he smiled, then turning back to his court, signified that the meeting was over. With a nod from Beast Boy, they headed over to the fountain.

"Well, that was intense." smiled Robin.

"What can I say, he's an intense guy. Dude, you should feel honored, I've NEVER seen Victor take a shine to someone so fast. You must have really impressed him. Got a line on a date?"

Robin sighed, "Not a clue. Well, no I guess I have a fallback option, but I'd really rather not." Gar looked perplexed. Sighing, Robin scanned the quad until he spotted his house mates, "Okay, see those two over there?"

Squinting, Beast Boy said, "Who, Chantrell? You know her?"

"No no, the two girls there." he said pointing.

"The blonde and the brunette?"

"Yeah" nodded Robin.

"The skinny ones with the big ta-ta's?"

"Yeah. They're foreign exchange students staying with my aunt and uncle."

"DUDE!" grinned Beast Boy.

"The blonde is Tara Makarov, the redhead is Kori something or other. Her last name is a bunch of letters that don't go together. They're both from Eastern Europe and really... foreign."

"Oh man, I so envy you, dude. You have got one sweet set-up." sighed Beast Boy.

"Not really, my uncle said he'd kill me if I laid a finger on either one."

"Ouch. Too bad." he said as something caught Beast Boy's eye, "Forget the lattes, let me introduce you to the dark roast! C'mon."

With the easy languid grace of deep sea fauna, Raven and Jinx swayed and strutted their way across the green towards the main entrance. Approaching the two girls, Gar reached into his backpack to fish out a small, gold foil box, "Why good morning Jinx! Though it challenges all known laws of physics, you're looking even more lovely than usual today. Hath not the angels taken their revenge yet?"

Tittering, she gave him a sweet smile and said coyly, "Oh hello Gar, I didn't see you there. How was your summer?" as Raven rolled her eyes at the flirtfest. Beast Boy and Jinx had met at the beginning of their Junior year and his Quixote like pursuit of her was occasionally charming, but mostly annoying.

That Jinx stoked this fire like Casey Jones further set Raven's teeth on edge. While she had no real reason to dislike Beast Boy, he was just a little too cozy with the school's beautiful people for her liking, not to mention the fact that he had ages ago promised to rip her a copy of that Skinny Puppy bootleg CD, which had yet to materialize.

"Dreadful! A shallow mockery of human existence as like Sisyphus I toiled without purpose and without end, or so it seemed, for the world is a cold stagnant void without you near!" he said with a Shakespearean flair, replete with hand gestures.

"Hey, where'd you get that book?" asked Robin, looking at Raven's backpack. Sticking from the side pocket of Raven's pack was a paperback copy of "Time Out Of Joint" by Philip K. Dick.

"Oh jeez, I'm sorry." said Beast Boy, "Ladies, this is Tim Drake. Tim, this is Raven Bishop, and the delicious Jennifer Katherine Simone, whom mere mortals call Jinx."

Caught off guard, Raven stammered, "Oh um, I picked it up at-"

"Sandlebee's Used Books, right? That's my old copy! I sold it off a few weeks ago." Robin smiled.

"Really?" asked Raven, pulling the book out.

"Yeah, look at the last page. I drew a little eye in the pyramid on it. You're a fan?"

Raven's face brightened, "Oh yeah, I love Dick!" then blushing slightly, "I mean, I really like his writing. You?"

"Oh yeah," grinned Robin, "I'm just finishing up "Now Wait For Last Year" and then I'll start into "The Three Stigmata Of Palmer Eldritch". If you want them when I'm done with them, you're welcome to them. Saves me a trip down to Sandlebee's."

"Oh, uh thanks. T-that'd be great." said Raven, who found that suddenly she couldn't stop smiling.

"Well now, I see a tight little clique forming here. What better time to grease the wheels with these." grinned Beast Boy as he handed Jinx the small box of chocolates.

Squealing with delight, Jinx took the box and favored him with a coy look, "You are really something else, you know that?"

Grinning the grin, he said, "And a little bird tells me that you're looking for a certain Siouxsie and the Banshees CD, n'est pas?" Her eyes shot wide open, as Raven glowered at the mere mention of a CD.

Holding his hands up he said, "Now, I'm not making any promises, but lets just see how your CD collection looks come Friday, okay."

She just looked at him with an odd little smile as she rocked from foot to foot and said in a soft silky voice, "We gotta get going. See you at lunch?"

"Of course." said Beast Boy with an endearing leer.

"It was nice meeting you Tim. Join us at lunch?" asked Raven with just a hint of hope in her voice.

Nodding, Robin said, "Looking forward to it. Bye!"

Watching the dark beauties scurry towards the entrance, Robin whispered to Beast Boy, "Is she seeing anybody?"

Poking Robin in the gut, he smiled, "Hopefully you, if I'm reading her right."

"You're kidding?"

Beast Boy rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he carefully studied the way Jinx filled out her jeans, "Those two have been friends forever, so I'm pretty good at reading Raven's moods. You certainly put a twinkle in her eye." He turned to face Robin, "Dude, what's your deal? You're just impressing the hell out of everyone today!"

Watching the last little bit of Raven disappear into the school he said, "I sure hope so."

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Sitting in homeroom, Jinx fumed. Last desk, last row on the left is a dream come true normally, but thanks to the seating chart posted on the blackboard, none of her friends were anywhere near her. Granted, she should have just been thankful that so many of her friends were in her homeroom to begin with, but still it was torturous. Beast Boy was first desk in her row, which ruled out even looking at him in dull moments, and Raven was way over on the other side of the room behind Steward McLaughton.

Sighing, she slipped Beast Boy's box of chocolates out of her book bag and slid it open. Godivas, there were eight of them sitting demurely in their brown paper cups. Treating herself to a cordial, she hid the remainder back in her pack. Oh how she wanted to talk to Raven, but unfortunately she was eye deep in conversation with Beast Boy's friend Robin, who also shared their homeroom.

Her reveries were cut short as their teacher entered the room, clapping his hands lightly to draw their attention.

"Very well now, very well. Students, please take to your assigned seats. I'm quite sure you've all seen the seating schedule by now, so to your places please. Now then, I am pleased to be both your teacher for the Homeroom period, but also your English literature teacher as well. My name is Mr. Modsworth." said Mad Mod as he wrote his name on the blackboard in inhumanly neat block letters, "And I think you all have a bright future ahead of you. Your senior year of high school is perhaps your most important, for it is in these months that you are molded and shaped to prepare you for your futures as productive members of society." He paused to remove his small glasses, "And I expect to see profound changes in each and every one of you..." he said as his lips pulled back into a wide, toothy grin.

Disconcerted, Jinx shot a look at Raven who met it and matched it. There was something just not right about this guy.

Fade to black...

To be continued.

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Stuff I'm writing now (In order of my interest):

Fault Lines - After the death of Slade, Terra confesses her involvement with him. Raven wants blood, but Robin really wants to talk with her about this, and it becomes clear that Terra may not have been Slade's ONLY resourse within the Titan's Tower. (Robin/Terra, but no romance).

A Call In The Night - Raven gets word that Jinx wants to defect from H.I.V.E., but is this legit or a set up to entrap her? (Raven/Robin pairing)

Rock Stupid - Terra and Starfire play detective to solve a jewel heist.

Black Dog - The Titans stalk a serial killer through the night streets of Jump City, but only Beast Boy realizes the true horror of what they're facing. (BB-Starfire pairing)

Under The Bridge - Raven, Robin, and the bodies of 23 dead little girls (R-R pairing)

The Black Tower - After a battle with the dreadful Phobia, Robin and Raven find that they can't escape the terror they shared. (R-R pairing, duh)

Haywire - Beast Boy, Jinx, and one wild night on the town. (BB-Jinx pairing)

Catch A Falling Star - Blackfire is back, and how.

About Last Bell - Even adding the extra chapters back in, this story is absolutely claustrophobic in a story telling sense. I set myself the challenge of keeping this to a certain length and word count (Which the last chapter is going to obliterate. sigh), but given my druthers, this would be book length and more leisurely paced so that I could REALLY build up the creepiness, not just with the Shadow Man, but Mad Mod as well.

I have a sequel blocked out (Jump Town Christmas), but I think I'll concentrate on finishing up the other stories first, A Call In The Night being my current fascination, followed by Deadweight.

Future romantic pairings? I loathe BB-Raven, so don't hold your breath for that, and Robin-Starfire isn't much better. So here's a few back of the napkin ideas I have kicking around in the Powerbook...

Terra/Mammoth - DINOSAUR KILLER

Terra/Starfire - WINTER RAINS

Red X/Blackfire - THE JADE SPIDER (Sure hope Starfire never finds out)

Jinx/Beast Boy & Robin/Raven - GIRL YOU WANT (6 Chapters posted)

Nightwing/Raven - ALL THE BEST YESTERDAYS

Lemme know what you think; it's all about entertaining you.

As always, I use reviews as a barometer, so if you want more of something, lemme know.

Keep reading', keep writin'! 


	2. Chapter 2

Last Bell by King Cheetah

Part Two - English Lit

I cry myself to sleep each night knowing that I own none of these characters...

Rated PG-13, Robin/Raven and Beast Boy/Jinx pairings. Starfire and Terra with probably get drunk and do something goofy at some point.

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Like an angel's horn ushering in the apocalypse the lunch bell shrilled, and the hallways of Julius Schwartz Memorial High School became a fractal pattern of teen fashion sensibilities. Motion, but without apparent purpose, like visual brown noise. Out of the maelstrom strode Raven and Jinx like revenant specters, a full morning's worth of academia still clinging to them.

"Wow, I thought Modsworth's class would never end, and Algebra was like chinese water torture." sighed Jinx, "How 'bout you?"

Looking like the next to the last runner in the Bosten Marathon, Raven wheezed, "I just got out of gym. There has GOT be be a way to get the Marines to take Ms. Struthers back."

With a slight nod, Raven motioned Jinx towards the girl's bathroom over by the janitor's closet. Entering, they were met with the sweet aroma of the potpouri and sculpted soups on the flawless marble sinks and the sight of Kitten Thompson and her wolf pack terrorizing a freshman. Kitten was tall, lean and mean, though not in that order, and her quartet of like tempered bitches preyed upon the weak and infirmed of the lower grades. They seemed to feed off the suffering they caused and in this they were gluttons. The particular fawn by the throat this time was blonde, slim, and terrified, evidently having seriously over dressed for a public take down.

This sight was nothing new to Raven or Jinx, and in times past they would have observed such a scene with the cool detatchment of a nature show host, but today was different... Maybe it was that it was the first day of school, or perhaps the look of abject despair in the eyes of the victum d'jour, or maybe it was the fact that the thought of Kitten's severed head on the end of a pike always brought a soft smile to Raven's lips. Whatever the reason, she decided to act and with a slight nod to Jinx, the femmes malevolant sprang into action.

Stepping doubletime, Raven sang out in a booming voice, "Oh THERE you are! We're been looking everywhere for you." as the doomed girl try to make out exactly who she was addressing.

"My fault! All my fault." grinned Jinx as she took the blonde girl's hands, "I needed to stop off at my locker, then had to go BACK to it a second time. I'm sorry I kept you waiting." as she began leading her towards the door.

Raven stood smiling slyly at Kitten and the wolfpack as the alpha bitch fought to keep her poker face, "A... friend of yours?" she asked almost in a hiss.

"And a dear one at that." smiled Raven with just a hint of menace in her voice.

"Ah. Well then, any friend of yours is a friend of mine." said Ruth with a toothy preditory smile.

"You're damned right. Later Pussy..." said Raven softly as she followed her friends out into the hallway.

Catching up with Jinx and the prize, she could hear the girl whimper, "T-thank you. Thank you so much. I-I just don't know what I did to upset them..."

"You were breathing. That's pretty much all it takes with Kitten and her bunch. What's your name sweetie?" asked Raven somewhat absently.

"May Conners." she said without garnish.

"Ah. I'm Raven Bishop and this is Jenny Simone. As long as Kitten thinks you're with us, you're off the menu. But don't push your luck. Stay out of her way and if you must deal with her, be polite." she said.

"Don't worry May." smiled Jinx, "It wasn't anything you did, it's just Kitten's thing. Everybody goes through this crap at some point or another." as Raven thought back to a certain unspeakable moment in her Freshman year.

The three walked for a moment in silence before May asked softly, "Um, Miss Bishop? Why... why did you do this? I mean, help me out and all."

Grinning broadly Raven said, "It's what we do." but in truth, she honestly didn't know.

"Um, look you two, I'll meet you in the cafeteria. I gotta make a pitstop." Raven said noticing Jinx's look of curiosity, "I REALLY had to pee when we played bully interruptus, but I can't very well waltz back into that bathroom. I'll catch up, and if you see Tim, make sure he sits with us."

Smiling broadly, Jinx and May waved her off and entered lunchroom, as Jinx began craning her neck trying to catch a glimpse of Beast Boy.

"A-are you trying to find someone?" May asked hesitantly.

"A really cute guy who spoils me rotten." said Jinx continuing her scan.

"Yeah, me too." giggled May.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Smiling to herself, Terra though about how lucky Starfire was, for as the fates would have it, not only had she likewise been selected to study in America, but that she was further graced to be paired up with a hip, metropolitan girl such as herself. While an unbelievable sweet girl, Terra found that life on the farm had ill prepared her partner for the hustle and bustle of a big American city like Jump Town where this fast life could easily devour a simple country girl such as Starfire. Besides, Terra had once visited Krakow on school field trip, and as such was well versed in the metropolitan ways of these folk. "This is only the first step in the long hard road to our careers as supermodels, Kori. I hope you are prepared to work as hard as I am. I am erasing the word 'failure' from personal vocabulary."

Starfire smiled at her friend's bravado, "I too will forget that and many other words! Only success for us. But..." she began hesitantly.

"But what?" frowned Terra.

"Are you so sure sister that cheerleading is the beginning of our journey to supermodel status?"

Terra made an exaggerated show of exasperation, "Ugh! Simple bumpkin. Everyone knows that all of the most powerful and important women in America began as cheerleaders! It is a truth that cannot be denied. Their congress women, their corporate leaders, their cosmonaughts; all cheerleaders!"

Starfire was thoughtful, "But there were women cosmonaughts in the old Soviet, I'm recalling..."

"Those were men who dressed as women, that is why we do not speak of them." said Terra with much authority.

Starfire considered this carefully, then smiled, "I think that Tim will be pleased to see us in our cheerleader uniforms."

Giving her friend a sly sideways glance, Terra said, "What you mean is that you hope that our cheerleader uniform will cause him to stare at your breasts, isn't that so?"

"Ugh! Why must you be so mean?" pouted Kori, "I am only thinking of Tim's well being. You yourself said that he seemed lonely, and I would be remiss if I showed no concern for him. Am I wrong to care?"

"Country girl, you KNOW that Mr.Drake has forbidden Tim from dating either of us, so if you truly care for Tim, do not present yourself as a temptation to him. Not only will you get him in trouble, but you could be seen as violating the terms of our boarding agreement." said Terra tersely, "I think you are better served in attempting to display your breasts to other eligible young men in our grade."

"Hrmph! You have no romance within you." Kori sniffed.

Smiling, Terra soothed, "It was all evicted to make room for more common sense. We have greater mountains to scale than Tim, my sister. Think only of the cheerleading tryouts for the time being. That and your studies should be your whole world."

Within another moment, they'd reached their destination, the girl's locker room annex and home to the Julius Schwartz Memorial High School cheerleading squad. Beyond these doors was the sanctum sanctorum of the fearsome JSMHS Red and Black, nine time state championship cheer squad, and second place winner in the nationals, three years running.

Looking at each other, they took a deep breath and rushed in where angels fear to tread.

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Beast Boy was almost beside himself with glee. There were lots of reasons he could sight as to why he and Robin were such good friends, but the one that mattered to him the most at that moment was that he was proving to be SUCH a tempting distraction for Raven, that it was giving him previously unheard of amounts of private time alone with the delicious Jinx.

As she explained her morning to him in GREAT detail, he toyed with both his fruit salad and thoughts of her in and out of various forms of swimwear. Catching a pause in her Homeric epic of Algebra class, he decided to make his move.

"Um, you know lovely one, I've been in pursuit of your favors for a while now, but I think it's time I make an honest women out of you." he said with a smooth, easy air, "Care to go out on Friday evening?"

Jinx was surprised, "An actual date?" Delighted, she didn't want to show it just yet. "Not that I'm saying yes, mind you..." she said primly, "But just for the sake of argument, let us suppose that I DID agree. What might I be expecting in the way of a young gentleman's attentions?"

Around them, the school lunchroom was a maelstrom of teen activity as meatloaf Monday shifted into second gear, and there was a real and present danger of running out of tater tots. Tensions were high.

Beast Boy forked several cuts of honeydew melon and smirked at the woman he'd wrestle alligators for, "You may have heard in passing that Vic Stone is having an evening get together of two hundred of his closest friends, correct?"

She smiled coyly, "Oh I see. And you've come up with a scheme to get us invites? Seems somewhat chancy for a first date, don't you think?"

Time to drop the bomb. He grinned the grin and said, "Angel, I don't NEED an invite. I'm the DJ for this little event magnifique!" Her eyes shot open with enough force to split an atom.

Calming herself she smiled sweetly, "You never cease to amaze me." as she reached across the table to place her hand on his.

"Let's hope not." he smiled, "You think Raven would like to go with Tim?"

"I think Raven would be willing to be surgically attached to Tim at this point. He's all she talks about." she said rolling her eyes.

"Excellent." said Beast Boy, rubbing his hands with glee, "It's all falling into place."

Just as Beast Boy was about to further flatter her, Jinx caught sight of Raven across the lunchroom, alone and obviously agitated. Making her apologies, she hopped up and set an intercept course for her best friend.

"Hey, where's Tim. What happened? Raven? Did something happen?" Jinx asked, but a gnawing fear in the back of her mind was already suggesting a few answers.

Trembling, she finally calmed herself enough to say softly, "It... it happened again."

Biting her lip, Jinx wished she knew what to do next.

The girls bathroom down by the metal shop was a secret hideaway known to only a select few, being in a section of the school few girls traveled. As such it was usually empty and almost free of possible interruptions.

Catching her own breath, Jinx hugged and massaged Raven as best she could to try and calm her. Finally, she felt same in questioning her.

"Okay. Where's Tim? Did this happen to Tim?" Jinx asked softly.

Raven's eyes went wide, apparently never considering the fact that this phenomena might effect him as well, "N-no. He had to go off to the main office. Some paperwork for his kung fu team..."

"Okay, good. Tim wasn't around. Where were you when it happened this time?"

"By my locker. I-I was getting out my lunch... and I saw him standing there..."

"Who Raven? Who did you see?" asked Jinx, though she well knew the answer.

She furrowed her brow as she tried to recall all the details, "Shadow Man, but he was different this time..."

It began to slowly come out. Stopping by her locker to retrieve a few things, she was startled to notice that the halls were suddenly empty of any students, save for this one. He was at the farthest end of the hallway, under that one bad light fixture by the chem lab. Bathed in flickering shadow, she couldn't quite make out his features as he just stood there watching her.

But there was no sound in the hallway, not merely quiet, but that complete dead silence one associates with snowfall. Slowly standing, she faced him and began to walk in his direction, which seemed to both surprise and upset him. Once he realized that he had been seen, he seemed to panic, and fled. As soon as he was out of her line of sight, she suddenly found herself in the middle of a hallway packed with students.

"It was like flipping a switch. I'm all alone, then BOOM, heavy traffic." said Raven softly, "This makes number twenty-three." Jinx nodded, and they're getting worse she thought.

"And you couldn't see his face this time? Did you get a look at him?" Jinx asked, pacing in front of the sinks. At this, Raven grew quiet again. She found that couldn't describe him accurately because his face... didn't make sense. He had eyes, ears, nose and a mouth, but somehow the combination of the parts somehow didn't equal a face. Jinx nodded. Though she hadn't expressed it to Raven this morning, that was her impression of the Shadow Man in her encounters as well.

Between the two of them, these sorts of odd time farts had started to pile up over the last week or so. Some were grand experiences such as this, while others were subtle, like seeing a car, blinking, only to see that it's changed color or style, or both. They'd discussed this on the way to school that morning, comparing notes and looking for answers. About half of them involved the Shadow Man in some way or another, he either being the focus of the event, or an observer. That it was happening to both of them was some small comfort, in that it proved that neither was crazy. That it was happening at all, was a far more troubling matter...

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Breathless, Terra and Starfire stood before the desk of the fearsome captain of the Red and Blacks, Lea Camerone, and within the halls of Julius Schwarts Memorial High, she was legend. Stately and athletic, her shear physical presence made her seem taller than she was, with a full inviting bosom and shapely legs completing every freshman's fantasy. Driven and commanding, she ruled the squad with an iron fist and a fanatical devotion to the school, and expected nothing less from those below her. Excellence is a starting point, she was prone to say. Gracious and gregarious, she dwelled in the airy realms of the school's elite studentry along with her ex-boyfriend (and possibly lover, or so it was whispered) Cyborg. And it was she who'd dumped him.

Considering the girls for a moment, Lea rose and moved to sit on the edge of desk.

"Ladies?" she asked dispassionately. Even sitting still, the girls found her to be imposing, looking flawless in her black uniform which she wore the way most people wore skin.

"We were told by Professor Modsworth to report to you about cheerleader tryouts." beamed Terra as Starfire nodded furiously.

Sighing Lea said, "Uh yes, thank you Professor Modsworth. Well look girls, I won't waste your time. Tryouts are on Friday at 2:00 PM, and while they are technically open to all applicants, we as a rule choose from amongst the Junior cheerleaders. Thanks anyway."

Terra seemed shocked, "B-but, we've been practicing the moves for months. We've learned all the schools cheers by heart. You have to consider us!"

"And we would look really good in the uniforms." added Starfire, jutting her chest out.

Lea's reaction was volcanic, "Listen up and listen good, cupcakes! This isn't about looking good in the uniforms. We're not eye-candy during the games! We are the heart and soul of this school's fighting spirit. We exalt in victory, console in defeat, and cry out for vengeance. This..." she said gesturing to the ribbon case to her left, "...is the proud legacy of the hard work and dedication that the members of this team put in. It's NOT about looking good." She spun around and approached them, "I don't want to know what you can do with these, "she said grabbing a breast on each girl, "Show me what you can do with these!" and she poked each in the forehead with an index finger.

In a flash, Terra's fury matched Lea's, "Who are you to stand in the way of our dreams! It is not for you to decide our fates before a fair examination of our abilities! If you are about all that you claim that you are, then it is talent and determination alone that is our judge. And let me tell YOU," she glared as she pointed towards the ribbon case, "If Kori and I were on the team, those would be FIRST place ribbons, not Second place!"

Lea's face broke into a wide, warm smile, "Excellent. Very good." Turning, she disappeared into a side closet, returning in a moment with an armload of stuff.

"Okay then, here's your cheer books, practice poms, and megaphones. The issued uniforms weigh eleven pounds, so make sure you practice with at least that much weight on. And learn ALL the cheers, even the retired ones. I want you two to be able to fart these cheers in your sleep." she said with a wink, "I'll see you on Friday."

Stunned but delighted, Terra recovered quickly, "We will not fail!" Grinning, they gathered up their gear, they scurried out the door, and towards the lunchroom passing a bemused Cyborg on the way. Tapping softly on her door, he entered to see her sitting on the edge of her desk.

"Victor" she said with a voice like fine chocolate.

"Hey, you're looking good. Really good. How's the squad shaping up?" he asked, but so obviously not the words he wanted to say to her.

"Good." she said, in full business mode, "just had a pair in here that show promise, and about half of the Junior years squad are probables. We'll have your boy's backs." leaning back in her chair, she graced him with soft smile.

Nodding as she spoke, he began to play with a spare megaphone, "Good, good. Um, I'm having a little get together on Friday. I was hoping you'd come."

Closing her eyes, she said softly, "Hope springs eternal, even where there is no hope."

His worst fears realized, he quickly shifted gears, "Well, by 'you' I meant the whole squad. Y'know show off the new members, do a few routines, like that."

Her expression brightened, "Ah, I see. Well then, Yes. 'WE' will be there on Friday. Thanks."

He nodded, taking his leave, "Great, then I'll be looking forward to seeing... you on Friday." and smiled.

Alone again, she removed a picture of the two of them together from her desk. Running her fingers lightly around the borders, she thought of the two of them in less complex times, taking both the good and bad that came with it. Sighing, she tore the picture into quarters and let them drop from her hand into the waste basket. Cyborg had once told her that the heart, while the hardest working muscle in the human body, was also the mosr delicate and if damaged never completely healed quite right when damaged... or broken.

She knew this to be true...

Fade to black...

To be continued.

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Writers notes

Well now, I got a lot of e-mail response off the first chapter (thanks, but review people), and I'm glad everyone's enjoying this. Beast Boy is actually based on two guys I knew in my senior year, though embarrassingly, a few of the corny pick up lines are my own. Though goofy and juevenile in the show, it's easy to see Gar as the court jester of the senior class elite, ever the schemer and huckster.

This is also the introduction of the Shadow Man, who'll actually play a MUCH bigger role in the rewrite... creepy...

I'm also really stuck on the whole BB/Jinx pairing and have another story waiting in the wings to explore that with ("Girl U Want" and "Haywire"), and Terra/Starfire have become my fave madcapped galpals to play with in stories, so look for more of that ("Terra and Starfire Go To White Castles").

Stuff I'm writing now (In order of my interest):

Fault Lines - After the death of Slade, Terra confesses her involvement with him. Raven wants blood, but Robin really wants to talk with her about this, and it becomes clear that Terra may not have been Slade's ONLY resourse within the Titan's Tower. (Robin/Terra, but no romance).

A Call In The Night - Raven gets word that Jinx wants to defect from H.I.V.E., but is this legit or a set up to entrap her? (Raven/Robin pairing)

Rock Stupid - Terra and Starfire play detective to solve a jewel heist.

Black Dog - The Titans stalk a serial killer through the night streets of Jump City, but only Beast Boy realizes the true horror of what they're facing. (BB-Starfire pairing)

Under The Bridge - Raven, Robin, and the bodies of 23 dead little girls (R-R pairing)

The Black Tower - After a battle with the dreadful Phobia, Robin and Raven find that they can't escape the terror they shared. (R-R pairing, duh)

Haywire - Beast Boy, Jinx, and one wild night on the town. (BB-Jinx pairing)

Catch A Falling Star - Blackfire is back, and how.

About Last Bell - Even adding the extra chapters back in, this story is absolutely claustrophobic in a story telling sense. I set myself the challenge of keeping this to a certain length and word count (Which the last chapter is going to obliterate. sigh), but given my druthers, this would be book length and more leisurely paced so that I could REALLY build up the creepiness, not just with the Shadow Man, but Mad Mod as well.

I have a sequel blocked out (Jump Town Christmas), but I think I'll concentrate on finishing up the other stories first, A Call In The Night being my current fascination, followed by Fault Lines.

Future romantic pairings? I loathe BB-Raven, so don't hold your breath for that, and Robin-Starfire isn't much better. So here's a few back of the napkin ideas I have kicking around in the Powerbook...

Terra/Mammoth - DINOSAUR KILLER

Terra/Starfire - WINTER RAINS

Red X/Blackfire - THE JADE SPIDER (Sure hope Starfire never finds out)

Jinx/Beast Boy & Robin/Raven - GIRL YOU WANT (6 Chapters posted)

Nightwing/Raven - ALL THE BEST YESTERDAYS

Lemme know what you think; it's all about entertaining you.

As always, I use reviews as a barometer, so if you want more of something, lemme know.

Keep reading', keep writin'! As before, I use reviews as a barometer, so if you want more of something, lemme know.  
Keep readin', keep writin'! Go Ç È 


	3. Chapter 3

Last Bell by King Cheetah

Part Three - Algebra

I cry myself to sleep each night knowing that I own none of these characters...

Rated PG-13, Robin/Raven and Beast Boy/Jinx pairings. Starfire and Terra with probably get drunk and do something goofy at some point.

O---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------O

On most any other evening, Robin enjoyed a slow leisurely dinner before his after dinner walk, but tonight the meal seemed to be moving like plate tectonics. Unlike most evenings, tonight he had someplace that he wanted to be. Very badly...

"A party on Friday? What kind of party?" his uncle Ben asked as he broke the house rule on only two biscuits each at meals.

Finishing his second porkchop, Robin replied, "Victor Stone's throwing a dance out on his dad's ranchhouse on the edge of town. Don't worry, it'll be chaperoned." he said not knowing if that was true or not, and in truth, he hoped the latter.

"Victor Stone?" his aunt asked, "Isn't that Mayor Stone's youngest boy?" and she smiled approvingly.

"Huh," said Ben, "Well, if that's Conrad Stone's boy, I guess this party's on the up and up." Robin nodded as he watched the Drake household's newest residents. At meals, Starfire tended to be polite and poised as she ate, while Terra treated each meal as a war of wits with the other diners, much to his uncle Ben's amusement. After grace, one could almost see her laying out her gameplan to eat as much as humanly possible off the table, as she eyed Tim warily, no doubt trying to guess his strategy.

"We're invited to this party as well," grinned Terra between mouthful of mash potatoes, "All of the cheerleaders are to attend and demonstrate our routines. Tim, would you bring a camera to record our awesome demonstration? Kori and I are to set a new standard of excellence for the Red and Blacks this year and documentation would be nice."

"Whoa there, missey. You haven't MADE the cheerleading squad yet. Don't get TOO complacent. Now's the time to work your hardest. Trust me, I know." he said, battling Terra for control of the gravy boat, finally emerging victorious.

"It's seems our young Tim is running in some pretty high social circles this year. I expect we'll seeing him down to city hall soon enough." smiled his aunt Beth.

"Only if the City Attorney needs Tai Quan Do lessons. Look, it's not that big a deal. Victor is a friend of Gar's and he invited me along too. Well, me and a date, at any rate."

"Oh, and a date too? Who's the lucky gal?" Ben smiled, rubbing his chin.

"Hopefully, Raven Bishop. She's my study partner in English Lit. I still need to ask her but Gar says she probably wouldn't mind going with me. Matter of fact, I have to head over to her house in a bit so we can get right into it. We have a term paper due in six weeks." he said finishing off his peas.

"Raven Bishop? Beth, is that Carla Bishop's little girl? Has that birthmark on her forehead? I think it is."

"She was such an angel as I recall. You knew her father from down at the Legion Hall, Roddie Bishop. Lost his arm in Vietnam. You remember him." she called back from the kitchen.

"Yeah, I remember him. All right boy, study or not, I want you back by 10:30. It's still a school night. Oh, and stop off to the market and grab me three lotto quickpix." he said, handing Robin a five. Grabbing his bookbag, he headed for the door.

"Uh Tim!" said Starfire, suddenly embarrassed about raising her voice, "I-If you are unable to secure your date for Victor's dance... um, we'll already be there and you can dance with me."

He stood stunned for a moment before smiling, "That's very sweet of you, Kori. Thanks."

O---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------O Life is good, thought Beast Boy. Not only had he managed to get Jinx to come home with him for dinner (trickier than you'd think on a moments notice), not only had dinner gone flawlessly with the Troublemint Twins on their best behavior (and who knows what dire hammer their mother held over their heads to accomplish this), but now the single most important thing in his life was sitting on his bed going through his numerous CD wallets. Oh, she'd been in his room on more than once, but only in his fevered imagination.

Now they laughed and joked and flirted as if this wasn't the single greatest moment in his existence.

"Oh man," she signed, as he imagined her dressed as a harem dancer, "You have got THE most awesome music collection I've ever seen! This is all just incredible."

"Pull out whatever you like, I'll rip you copies." he smiled, as now she was a naughty cowgirl.

CD's in hand, she brought them over to his computer table and watched as he worked his magic. At first, she merely stood behind him with her hands resting on the chair, but as their conversations progressed, some pretext or another gave her the excuse to bring her hands down resting on his shoulders. From resting, to gentle caresses, to massaging his shoulders. He bore this for as long as he could before his own hands were up cupped around hers, drawing one of them to his lips. Looking around, Jinx saw that the door to his room was open, but what is life without risks.

Quicker than thought, she spun him around in his chair, and before he could react, she bent down to kiss him. His head swam at the sensation of her lips on his, her sweet breath across his cheek, the hint of her tongue against his teeth. Parting, she stood erect again and cast another cautious look around. Smiling sweetly, she slowly rotated his chair back around. Hands back on his shoulders, she behaved herself the rest of the evening, much to his disappointment.

O-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------O

Raven's bedroom was pretty much what he'd expected from talking with her. Robin looked about at the posters and bookshelves that seemed to line every wall, and smiled to see a few more of his castoff reading in amongst the stacks. She was a bibliovore, cunning and voracious, stalking valued prey, and pouncing without warning. Smiling to himself, he imagined weeks vigorous debates over these varied tomes, or better yet, quiet evening on the couch enjoying them together.

"Do you EVER get rid of any old reading? Some of this stuff looks like it's from grade school." he said smiling.

"No, I like to hang on to stuff. I mean, what if I want to go back and reread something? Some of this stuff would be impossible to find now." she said, standing beside him. "Besides, when you find something that really means a lot to you, isn't it worth holding on to?"

Looking deep into her eyes, he felt his heart race as he said softly, "Yeah... yeah, I guess it is." She looked up into face and lightly licked her lips. Moving slowly, he brought his face down to hers and...

"Raven honey, I'm home." her mother called from the den.

Gasping, they suddenly found themselves on opposite sides of the room, "U-Up here mom. Tim's here." she said, trying to catch her breath. Mrs. Bishop poked her head in the room.

"Oh really. Ah, so you're Tim Drake." she extending a hand.

"Pleased to meet you Mrs. Bishop. I just dropped by to pick up Raven for our study group. We have a term paper due in four weeks, so times a wasting." he said with his best attempt at a disarming smile.

"A study group, you say? And just who's in this study group?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Tim and I, Gar Logan and Jinx." Raven said.

"I see. So Jinx and her boyfriend and you and your... 'study partner' are getting together on a school night... to study. Is that your story?"

"Yes Senator, I stand by that statement." said Raven as her mother considered her carefully.

After a small eternity, Mrs. Bishop said, "10:00 PM, young lady and not a minute later. And this had better be an A plus paper."

Squeeling, Raven hugged her mother and said, "Who's got the coolest mom in the world? Top scientists say it's ME!"

O----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------O

The DENNY'S out by the business park was one of the oldest buildings in town and it showed. Clean and well maintained, it none the less was from an era where evidently all architects were required to watch every single episode of the Jetsons, and bespoke of a vision of the future long forgotten. Still, it bore the stories of a million different diners from over the years, and Jinx insisted that the food likewise carried the spirits of all the meals before it and as such tasted all the better. Given how she and Raven haunted the place, this was difficult to deny.

Mustang and Tim's motorcycle secured, the two couples shuffled into the restaurant of tomorrow and waited to be seated. Raven looked up as the hostess approached them, "And how many tonight, lovies?" said Mad Mod in a high pitched woman's voice.

"Four for non-smoking please." smiled Raven.

Seated, they began to study their munues like the rossetta stone, as their waiter approached.

"Good evening young loves! My names Randy, and I'll be your server tonight," said Mad Mod, tapping his nameplate, "Randy by name, Randy by nature. Might I start you lot off with drinks?" They ordered coffee and slices of pie all around, except Raven who demanded her usual hot tea.

"Bang on, guv. I'll have these right around." grinned Mad Mod, tapping the rim of his tiny glasses with his pen.

Sighing, Robin got down to business, "Okay, what do you want to do the paper on? The reading list is pretty narrow. I got a few highlighted, but I wanted to know what you thought first."

"Well, I've already read about a third of the list already, " said Raven, "But I don't know how much that's going to help us that much. How about 'A Clockwork Orange'?"

"Cool, you could just rent the DVD." said Beast Boy as their coffee arrived.

"Gar, it's been my experience that writing a paper about a book based off it's movie is a guaranteed D minus. We'll just slog through the book. Besides, that movies kind of... porno." smiled Robin.

Going over the list three times, they finally settled on 'A Clockwork Orange' for Robin and Raven, and 'A Confederacy of Dunces' for Beast Boy and Jinx. Check in hand, they hit the cashier.

"Everything to your liking this evening, kids?" grinned Mad Mod in his womany hostess voice.

"Everything was perfect ma'am. Thanks." said Beast Boy, taking his change and dumping it into the charity cup by the register. Outside they relaxed beside Beast Boy's Mustang. "You guys all set for the party tomorrow? I still gotta track down Mike." he said.

"Yeah. We still on for carpooling out there?" asked Robin, slipping his arms around Raven's waist.

"Yeah, just be ready by five, I still gotta set up, and with or without Mike, it's a lot of work." he said as he opened the door for Jinx.

Finally, the Mustang gave it's bestial roar and took off into the darkened streets of Jump Town as Robin mounted his bike. He watched as Raven walked slowly up to stand next to him. "How are we for time? I don't want our first evening out to be our last." he asked. Leaning forward, she lifted his face to hers and kissed him. "Sorry for the interruption earlier." she smiled and mounted the bike behind him. Looking up, they saw a homeless man limp into view out of the dim shadows.

"Uh, beg pardon friends. I'm so sorry to be a burden, but anything at all you might spare would be greatly appreciated, if you could please sir..." said Mad Mod.

"Go ahead." Raven whispered and gave his chest a little squeeze. Fishing about in his pocket, Robin found three dollars and handed it to the old codger.

"Take care of yourself, guy." Robin said with a smile, as bowing slightly, Mad Mod said, "Bless ya, young sir. You're the very picture of human kindness sir..."

Without warning, there arose a sound like the roar of a freight train, but it seemed to come from all directions at once. Like the flight of dragons, great swaths of iridescent green light washed through the night sky, filling it totally. Amidst it all Robin heard Raven scream, and spun around to see her pointing back into the restaurant. There in the large bay window, stood a figure. Man-like yet somehow not, it seemed more like a man shaped hole in the universe, than a physical entity. It stood watching Raven, but started as it realized it had been seen and ducked down below their plane of view. Quicker than thought, Robin was off the bike and to the door of the resteraunt, ready to take whatever was coming. As quickly as it had begun, the aerial light show ceased, and they were left sitting in the dark quiet night of the parking lot.

"Raven, what was-" Robin started, but she was in near hysterics. Returning to the bike, he embraced her, trying his best to maintain his own composure.

"...please..." she whispered, "...take me home. Take me home now...please!" She seemed on the verge of crying, which helped take Robin's mind off his own unease at what had just happened. Brushing her bangs from her face, he gave her another little squeeze and mounted his bike, she quick to follow.

Gunning the bike, they shot off into the darkness, leaving the Mad Mod standing alone in the still, silent night. Slowly, his homeless persona melted away, bit by bit falling away and subliming before it hit the ground, leaving him standing dapper in his suit and cane. Stiffly, he brushed the last few bit of his diguise off with a quick snap of his wrist and scowled at what he'd just seen. Too many unaccountable incidents were happening in Jumptown, and he found it troubling.

Entering the now empty Denny's, he looked around cautiously, but could find no evidence of the mystery hominid. For someone convinced that he was in control, an unknown actor on his stage was intolerable. But he'd seen the mystery man plain as day, but couldn't account for it.

Furrowing his brow, he whispered to no one in particular, "Now, who's little baby are you, Spring Heel Jack?"

Sitting quietly at the table, he gestured and a cup of coffee appeared before him, seemingly from out of no where. He continued to let his vision drift about the tomblike silence of the Denny's.

"Who's little baby are you?"

Fade to black...

To be continued.

Writer's notes----------------------------------------------------------------------------------O

Both e-mails and reviews of the story so far have been keen and insightful (I have the coolest readers ever!), and impress me with how closely you're paying attention to the story.

A few points:

-Shadow Man isn't Slade, nor is it Trigon, but big props to you for thinking outside the box. Shadow Man is much more horrible than that... I'll go into a detailed explanation of Shadow Man in Chapter 12. Stay tuned!

-Oh, something's going to happen at the party all right, but not what you think.

-I'll probably go ahead and add the sixth chapter back in. I feel like more of BB and Jinx being cute together, so see "Girl-U-Want".

-CLUE: I've pointed out several times that Terra and Starfire now have HUGE boobs; they don't in the show. Think about it.

-And for the record, I had to write my term paper on a A Clockwork Orange, which was a REAL long haul. Bonus points if you can sight why I referenced it in this story.

As before, I use reviews as a barometer, so if you want more of something, lemme know. During this rewrite, I'll be more than happy to fill in any holes or dwell on stuff you'd like to see. Thanks!

Keep readin', keep writin'! 


	4. Chapter 4

Last Bell by King Cheetah

Part Four - History

I cry myself to sleep each night knowing that I own none of these characters...

Rated PG-13, Robin/Raven and Beast Boy/Jinx pairings. Starfire and Terra with probably get drunk and do something goofy at some point.

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Sweatsoaked and wheezing, Terra and Starfire stood with the other cheerleading hopefuls before the baleful gaze of Lea Camerone, captain of the Red and Blacks. Flanked by her two lieutenants, they were yearbook perfect in their black and red uniforms, like furies carved in bloodstone.

Clipboard to the girl on her left, Lea stepped forward, "At this point, the manual advises me to thank you all for coming and to praise you for your dedication and hard work. Well, that's a load of crap. If you didn't make the cut today, it's because you weren't good enough, period. Maybe it was some minor shortcoming, maybe something bigger. The fact remains that half of you here will leave without pom poms. You'll have other challenges in life, and I can only hope you show more fire in tackling those."

Arms behind her back, she began to pace the line, "We are a special breed in the world of high school sports. Some think that we're nothing more eye candy on the field, a pleasant distraction during slow quarters. Others think that we're some sort of harem for the jocks, trophies to add to both reputation and image. Well, they're wrong. We are every bit the fighters and competitors that they are. We are warriors of dance and song. We suffer the same wins and losses as the players on the field. We urge them on in triumph, we encourage them on during losses, we cry for vengeance in battles of spirit. We do not need fluffers on this squad, we need ass kickers. That, and that alone is the criteria on which you were judged today."

She turned to face the group, "Okay, form up in two rows. As I pass, if I select you, step over there to where Tawny and Babbette are standing and deposit your practice gear in the appropriate bins. Afterwards, we'll clean up and you'll be issued your standard gear and temporary uniforms. Line up!"

Standing proud and erect, Terra and Starfire cast cautious glances to each other and awaited their fates. Terra remained upbeat. Their performance had been flawless to her eye, but then again, she wasn't judging.

Lea passed over the first three girls in line, gesturing to numbers four and six to step to the side. Girl number two broke down crying.

Disgraceful, thought Terra. In the unlikely event that she and Starfire were not chosen, she would bare the result with dignity and aplomb. Girls number eight and nine stepped to the side as girl number seven shrieked "NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Oh, who was she kidding. If she wasn't picked she'd probably punch Lea in the stomach.

The first row completed, Lea moved to the second rank of candidates, where Terra and Starfire were numbers fourteen and fifteen. Girl twelve joined the ranks of the chosen, while thirteen lived up to her numbers unlucky reputation.

Stopping before then, Lea fixed Terra and Starfire with a look, just as a heart stopping notion popped into Terra's head; what if she were chosen and not Starfire? This would be a true test of their friendship to be sure, but she was sure that her friend would get by somehow.

With a slight nod of her head, Lea grinned and whispered, "Get your asses over there, you two." Jubilant, they leapt and cartwheeled all the way to the winners circle, stopping long enough to hug each other along the way.

A dozen dreams crushed, Lea returned to join her companions and addressed the anointed ones, "All right then. Welcome aboard. Things are happening a little faster than I would like today, but learning to roll with the punches is lesson one. As I'm sure you are all aware, Victor Stone, the pride of this school's football program is throwing a dance this evening and has asked the Red and Black to attend to introduce the newest members. This affair is as important as any game we'll attend, and you will accord yourselves as such. Some of you will perform routines, others will merely represent us proudly, but all of you will attend."

Taking a deep breath, Lea continued, "While I shouldn't HAVE to spell this out for you, I will so that there are no misunderstandings. First off, as far as any of you are concerned, this is a dry party. While wearing this uniform, you will always be mindful of what you represent and act accordingly. And by dry, I mean ABSOLUTELY no alcohol of any sort under any circumstance. Short of being held down and forcibly given a beer enema, there is no excuse for there to be a single drop in you at any time."

Rubbing her chin, she said, "Secondly, once this uniform goes on you tonight, it stays on you, and I mean every part of it. As a member of the Red and Blacks, you're in for A LOT of attention from boys (and some girls), some of it good, some not. Use your heads. No PDA, no inappropriate behavior, and no REALLY inappropriate behavior. Pretend your parents are always four feet behind you at all times. You can dance with guys, even slow dance, but again, let common sense guide you. Think of what you represent tonight. And above all, think of what I'll do to you if I catch you flaunting the rules."

Seeing Tawny motion to her watch, Lea nodded and said, "All right, lets hit the showers."

O----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------O

He tastes as good as he looks, thought Raven.

Robin's bedroom was a roomy extension to the existing house off the back of the garage, intended to be his uncle's study after Robin was off to college. It was large, comfortable and delightfully private, with a gravel walkway that would alert them to potential visitors. They'd started kissing by his bookshelf, but his bed was proving to be the better option. She'd gotten enough hints up to that point that he was a hardbody, but to actually feel the muscles in his back, or run her hand across his six-pack was intoxicating. Breaking their liplock, she looked into his eyes as she ran a hand through his tussled dark hair.

Deftly dodging his attempted resumption of their snogging, her mouth darted to his throat where she ran a wicked tongue the length of his adam's apple. Playfully, she gently took bits of his neck between her teeth and softly tongued them. Sighing, he ran a hand down the smooth glide of her belly and hooked a finger under the hem of her T-shirt, drawing it upward. Laughing, she released his neck and grabbed her shirt back down to her equatorial regions. Standing, he grabbed her arm, pulling her upright into his arms. In an instant, their smiles were replaced with want, and once again they shared the sweet tastes of each other.

This is crazy, thought Raven. She'd only known Robin about a week, and yet... it was as though they were lifelong friends. She not only felt attracted to him, this rock hard brooding loner with his own motorcycle, but she also trusted him. The way she trusted Jinx. Last night during the freaky scene at the Denny's, he could have behaved a lot of ways, but he'd been rock solid and in control. It occurred to her that had she not insisted on going home, he would have leapt off the bike and run into the restaurant to investigate. She knew this deep in her heart. She'd never known a guy like him, her previous attempts at relationships falling into two categories; major and minor disasters.

He slid his hands down her back, they came to rest snugged into the back pockets of her jeans, and that suited her just fine. Who are you, she thought. Why are you SO right for me, so much what I need right now. It was almost too good to be true, the fear of waking up always with her. Their lips parted again and she took just a moment to look into his eyes. Brown and bottomless, they were serene and inviting. Moving her arms from around his neck, she slid them down his sides and brought them to rest on his butt as she laid her head on his chest, prompting him to draw her closer to him. You're bad for me, she thought.

No, you're good for me, you just make me want to be bad...

"We better head inside." he whispered. No, she thought, nothing exists outside of this room. At least, nothing that matters to me like you. Sighing, they took a moment to straighten themselves up and walked back up to the main house. His aunt Beth met them in the kitchen, "Oh Tim, I was just coming out to get you. Gar Logan called and said he'd be by in a few minutes to pick you two up. Oh my, don't you look lovely Raven." she said.  
"Oh, um thank you ma'am. This'll be the first big party I've been to in a while." she smiled, and by 'a while' she meant 'ever'.

Their conversation was cut short by a mighty whoop from the front door. Strutting and high stepping like Vegas showgirls, Terra and Starfire filled the living room with cheer and high spirits, followed by Ben Drake, smiling and shaking his head, "They were like this all the way home."

Demurely walking forward, Starfire threw her shoulders back and jutted her chest out, "Do I look good in my uniform, Tim? I was afraid that it might be unflattering to my figure." she said, hitting him with the big sad eyes.

"You look great Kori. You were made to wear that uniform." He smiled politely, as Raven fumed beside him.

"I thought that uniform came with kneepads too." said Raven innocently, as Robin gently elbowed her.

"There are many accessories, but tonight we require only the basics for our pageant. Kori, do not lose your focus, for tonight is the beginning of much hard work for us." said Terra looking at her butt in the full length mirror in the hallway.

"Knock knock! Everybody ready to go?" said Gar, sticking his head in the front door, Jinx hot on his heels.

"Most timely, mon ami!" grinned Robin, bumping knuckles with Beast Boy.

"Hey folks," said Beast Boy, waving to the Drakes, "Hey, you gals made the squad! Awesome! Way to go."

"Thank you, Gar. It is good to see our hard work and dedication appreciated. Kori and I will be at Victor's party tonight also. Have you chosen the appropriate slammin' tunes for our performance?" said Terra, still unable to tear her eyes from the mirror.

"Yes MA'AM." he grinned, saluting, "An entire CD of booty shakin' rhythms for your approval. Hand picked and tested by the glorious Jinx, you cannot fail, on my word."

"Excellent," smiled Terra, finally acknowledging the others in the room, "Through careful study, I have determined that Jinx and Raven are the coolest girls in our grade. Therefore, if your music has her blessings, we are guaranteed success."

"Uh wow. Thanks Tara." said Jinx cocking an eyebrow. Taking Beast Boys arm, she said," C'mon stud, you have a show to put together. Ready to go guys?"

"Lea is picking us up in her minivan, so we will see you later." said Terra.

"Tim, We will be very busy tonight, but I hope I have time to enjoy at least one dance with you." said Kori softly, using a combination big eyes and hypno-boob attack.

"We'll see. All right, we'll see you at midnight. Bye!" said Robin as he ushered his friends out the door. As they walked out to Gar's dad's pickup, Jinx and Raven lagged behind the boys a bit, "Got a little competition I see." smiled Jinx.

"I kept fantasizing about feeding her into a wood chipper, is that wrong?" Fumed Raven.

"In this county? I'm pretty sure it is. Don't sweat it. Tim doesn't strike me as being a horndog, and... okay, WHAT are you grinning about?" asked Jinx slyly.

"Nothing." grinned Raven, thinking back to twenty minutes ago. Those were good times, she mused. "Uh hey, I did that thing you suggested last night..." said Raven softly.

"What? The automatic writing? Did you get anything interesting?" At Jinx's suggestion, Raven had been experimenting with Automatic Writing. After deep breating exercises and meditation, Raven held a pen in her relaxed hand to see what might be written in this zen state. Mostly it was nonsense, but last night...

"I dunno, you tell me." Raven said, handing Jinx a small scrap of paper.

Looking it over, she handed it back to Raven, "I don't get it. Is this anything you recognize? Are these names or something?"

"No, nothing I can think of. Maybe it's an anagram for something." said Raven

"Well, I have a program on my computer for anagrams. We can fool with it later." sighed Jinx, "Right now we got hot guys and a party to contend with."

"You got that right!" grinned Raven, as she glanced at the slip of paper one last time before tucking it away.

"A-Z-A-R-A-T-H M-E-T-R-I-O-N Z-I-N-T-H-O-S"

What in the heck was this suppose to mean, anyhow?

Fade to black...

To be continued. 


	5. Chapter 5

Last Bell by King Cheetah

Part Five - Study Hall

I cry myself to sleep each night knowing that I own none of these characters...

Rated PG-13, Robin/Raven and Beast Boy/Jinx pairings. Starfire and Terra with probably get drunk and do something goofy at some point.

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It was one of those small but earth shattering revelations that Raven's mother had so come to expect from her. All through their Junior year, Raven and Jinx, the very definition of outsiders, mocked and japed at the expense of the popular kids and their ways. Their exclusive parties, their dances, their sleep overs and reserved lunchroom tables, all fodder for their acid tongues and rapier wits. Page upon page of Jinx's (anonymous) website "Darkest Jump Town" recounted real and imaged misdeeds and horseplay amongst these airy Olympians, and whatever gossip that they could fabricate. Oh, how they laughed.

But now, standing in one such event, rubbing elbows so easily with the senior classes beautiful people, and damn their hides, making her feel welcome, she could only look back at those events with shame. They'd not derided the Junior grade peers out of a sense of social injustice nor biting swiftian satire of the unspoken condition of the class structures of the studentry. No, it was done out of raw, naked envy, and it shamed her. How we decry that which we most desire, she thought. That several VERY cute guys (other than Tim) had ask her to dance only deepened her feelings of remourse.

The party had been going for an hour so far and everyone was in high spirits, but amazingly, no one had done anything stupid yet to spoil the rhythm of the evening. Beast Boy and Jinx put on a fine show, as they spun tunes and danced, keeping the dance pit in constant motion. Raven marveled at the boundless energy of the crowd around her and in particular at the Red and Blacks as they worked the crowds always surrounding them. And through it all strode Cyborg, the Grand Marquee of the regent, making or breaking reputations by his attentions. Render unto Caesar, she thought.

Slipping a welcomed arm around her waist, Robin kissed her cheek lightly and asked, "Well, like it?" and she gave him a sly look.

"Not your best kiss. Better try again." she winked.

Laughing, he turned her to face him and brought his lips to hers. Accepting his tongue, she moved forward to press herself against him as she felt his hands moving up her back. Somewhere in the mob around her, she knew that Starfire was watching then, and the idea made her smile inside. Separating, she moved to Robin's side as his arm slid back around her waist as he urged her forward.

"Let me rephrase that. How do you like the party so far?" he smiled, waving to one of his martial arts teammates.

Guilt aside, she gave his hand a squeeze and said, "I can't believe how much fun this is. Tara's been using her newfound clout as a Red and Black to make the rounds and press the flesh with resident who's who, then she took me around to glad-hand with her new contacts." she chuckled softly, "Watch out for that one. I see her as Senior class president this year, so have any suggestions on bribes? I want to be ahead of the game."

Robin smiled, "Tara's definitely a Type A personality all right. You wouldn't believe the big plans she's always making, always looking for an angle."

"Yeah, who'd have thought the blonde would be the smart one of the two of them." said Raven innocently.

Robin laughed, "Ah yes. Am I detecting a bit of insecurity on your part?"

"Oh no, of course not. You have a gorgeous, bosomy, red headed cheerleader as a housemate. Why in the world would I be worried." she growled.

He looked at her for a moment then said, "C'mon." Leading her by the hand through the swirling maelstrom of revelry about them, he pulled her towards a large oak tree off in one of the darkened corners of the yard. Behind the tree, he drew her to him again and smothered her in his passions, which she fought to match kiss for kiss.

Pulling her back for a second, he brushed the hair from face and asked, "So, would you like a commitment from me? Something to show you that I'm serious about you?" Almost in a daze, she nodded weakly, even as his head dipped to bring his lips to her throat. Before she fully realized what he was doing, she felt the sweet sharp pain as he left his mark on her.

Everything told her that she should be pushing him away and slapping that snug face of his, but instead she grasp at him, holding him in place as his hand traced a delicious trail along her rump.

Finishing his task, she brushed a soft hand across his cheek even as she ran her fingers over her new hickey, which she instinctively knew was going to be huge.

"You asshole." she hissed even as she relived the moment in her mind over and over, that exquisite pain ringing through her with each retelling.

Looking up, she saw him looking deep into her eyes as he drew aside the collar of his T-shirt and softly growled, "Go on, mark your territory..."

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Terra could not help but smile self satisfactory, for this evening she was at the top of her game.

Starfire at her side, she made the rounds, pressed the flesh and made sure that everyone who was anyone knew the name Tara Markov (and friend). With women, she would be bold and confident, expressing interest in them and in all that they were doing, while with men, she was coy and seductive, tantalizing and a prize worth pursuing with vigor, and with the assistant editor of the yearbook committee (whom she was convinced was a lesbian), she used a combination of the two tact's.

Through it all Starfire played her part with the intuitive grace of a master thespian, be it looking thoughtful and assertive, or coy and inviting, or in the case of the suspected lesbian, merely looking curious.

"Ah, do you smell that my friend? It is the sweet, intoxicating aroma of success! We are well into the ranks of the elite, exactly where were deserve to be." grinned Terra as she strode the party like Patton.

"All that I can smell is all the beer that we are denied this night!" sulked Starfire, "It would be one matter if it were that nasty, tasteless American beer, but I've spied several good English lagers in our travels tonight and they're all mocking us!"

Sighing, Terra said, "I agree. Refreshment has indeed been earned this evening, but we must maintain our discipline. I promise you that we will enjoy a good drink when our work here is done." patting her friend on the shoulder, only to notice a rather pronounced grimace on her face.

"Uh... Is something wrong sister? You look... upset." whispered Terra.

She cast her eyes over in the direction of Starfire's ire, only to see Robin and Raven locked in a VERY satisfying kiss, that all things considered, she wouldn't mind being on the receiving end of.

"I do not understand what it is that Tim thinks that he sees in that woman. He is deserving of so much better than that little tramp." growled Starfire under her breath.

Sighing loudly, Terra said, "Ugh! Must you behave like such a child? You KNOW that Mr. Drake has forbidden Tim from dating either of us, and besides that, you two have little in common. Your time would be better spent in pursuing a relationship that is-"

"I have it, she is a WITCH!" cried Starfire in her eureka moment.

Rolling her eyes, Terra said, "Oh, you are impossible. Only a bumpkin would believe in witches."

"It is true! I have read much about these girls who dress in black and read all the time. She has cast a spell on both Mr. Drake and Tim. They are her slaves. Look at her! Can you not see the evil that crawls over ever inch of her?"

"Those are Tim's hands, and you're being foolish. A sensible girl would take full advantage of all the delightful young men that have been staring at her shapely legs all evening, and find a dance partner. Watch and learn little sister." Smiled Terra as she headed for Mammoth, who had been doing just that.

"I will dance," said Starfire to no one in particular, "But the witch shall always be in my sites."

"Say hey, Dames and Dandies! Breaktime for the mixmaster and her most glorious, the Lady J, but dry those tears. A quick nip into the vaults and it's back to sonic boomin'! Let me leave you with a soft romantic ballad, the likes of which they just don't write anymore. It's the Chili Peppers with "Love Rollercoaster". Peace or pieces!" roared Beast Boy into the mic.

With a few last dance steps, they left the platform and began to mingle with the crowd.

Pulling Jinx close, Beast Boy whispered in her ear, "Well, does our first date meet with m'ladies approval?"

Laughing, she kissed him and sighed, "You were DEFIANTLY worth the wait, you know that? This easily ranks as histories best first date, outside of the burning of the Globe Theater."

"Uh okay. Good. I just wish I wasn't working this gig. I'd really rather be enjoying this deal with you." he smiled.

"Really?" she smiled. Looking at him for a time, then said softly, "Then perhaps we've earned a little private time. Where are you parked again?"

Wide eyed, he sputtered, "...A-are you kidding me?" Her expression said it all. Grinning, they scurried off in the direction of the main house, waving to Robin and Raven as they passed.

"Huh, wonder where they're off to? Should we follow them?" Grinned Raven

"I dunno. You think we SHOULD follow 'em?" smiled Tim, knowing full well where they were going. "I don't know if both of us losing a best friend would be much of a payoff for a joke. Hungry?"

"A little." she sighed, "But I thought we all might grab a late snack post party. The buffet looks to be mostly junkfood."

Robin ran a soft finger across her cheek and said, "Actually, that sounds like a good- "

They were cut short by a roar like a flock of a thousand birds screaming past them, but nothing was in sight. The lights of the party area seemed to take on a sickening purple hue, and with a shutter, almost all the party guests vanished. Raven look around her to see only a handful of patrons remaining. Cyborg, Mammoth and Terra, Starfire, Robin and Raven stood alone in the dance pit.

But there, on the very edge of the light, stood him. This time he seemed to be a man shaped bag in which a hundred unspeakable things wriggled inside of, with two great black eyes, that almost seem added as an afterthought. He just stood there, shivering and twitching in time to some soundless tune. "Shadow Man." whimpered Raven, as she clung to Robin for dear life. As before, as if some great switch had been thrown, the real world snapped back into being as if nothing had happened.

Looking around at the milling throngs of party goers about them, Robin hugged Raven close, as he fought to control his own breathing. Slowly, the other non vanishers began to pick their way through the crowds towards them. As they all finally coalesced, Cyborg fixed Robin with a look and said, "You mind telling me what the hell just happened? I mean you saw it to, right?"

"Perhaps sorcery is at the heart of this!" said Starfire as she stared daggers at Raven.

"You better park those eyeballs elsewhere, candy floss, or I'll feed you those fake boobs!" snarled Raven.  
"Cool it you two. This isn't the time for it." Robin said as Starfire grabbed his arm and pressed herself into his side.

"Oh Tim, I'm scared." she whimpered softly.

"Oh yeah?" said Raven grabbing his other arm, "Well I'm scared too!" and the two girls glared at each other across his pectoral no-mans land.

Sighing heavily, Robin asked, "Victor, is there somewhere we can go and talk about this?"

Beast Boy and Jinx now present, they'd gathered in the kitchen of the house and compared notes.

"Okay fine." said Cyborg pacing, "But why now? And why all of us? I mean, we're all friends, but a lot of my other friends winked out." including Lea, he thought, "Why were WE all left standing?"

"None of this makes any sense. What was that noise? Where did everybody go? And who in the hell was that freaky jack with the eyes?" asked Mammoth, running his hand along Terra's shoulder.

Raven was finding herself slipping further into a panic attack, and looked desperately at Jinx for solace. Gathering her up, Jinx said, "Um guys, I think Raven needs a minute. Victor, where's the bathroom?" he motioned down the hall.

As they disappeared around the corner, Starfire jumped up to face the group and mouthed the words "She's a witch", at which point Terra bounced an apple off her head.

Finally, Raven could feel her panic subside. This was all getting to be too much.

Sitting against the sink, she looked up at Jinx and asked softly, "What does he want with me?"

Jinx didn't even try to hide the fact that she was thinking the exact same thing, "I don't know. But, he seems content to just watch you from a distance, so that's something."

"And when he gets tired of just looking?" she said, hanging her head.

Suddenly, someone outside tried the doorknob.

"Occupado, I'll be done in a bit." said Jinx in a sing-song voice.

Again the knob rattled, then a voice called through the door, "Jinx, please open this door."

Furrowing her brow, she stammered, "M-Mr. Modsworth? What are-"

"Open the door Jinx. We have business." said Mad Mod firmly.

She looked at Raven, who held a finger to her lips, "I-I'm not decent. Give me a minute."

"You most certainly are Jinx, as is Raven. Now open this door."

"D-did Victor let you in?" Jinx said as her mind raced. She suddenly noticed that the house had become deadly still, the silence like that of heavy snowfall.

After a period of silence, there came a flash and what looked to be St. Elmos fire seemed to dance across the inner surface of the bathroom door. From within the maelstrom, the face and hands of Mad Mod began to appear, moving slowly like a man trying to walk through water. He was not damaging the door, but merely passing through it's structure. His head, torso and arms through, his legs began to appear until finally he stood before them, ever dapper in suit and cane.

"I blame myself actually, lovies. I should have known that you birds would be troublesome during the tests. I should have separated you or at least made some attempt to keep you apart. Ah well, live and learn, me ole mum always said. Sorry sweeties, but this is going to be long and incredibly painful." grinned Mad Mod as he approached them. Jinx let out a scream just as something deep within Raven awoke.

Hands clutching the sides of her head, she screamed, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"

There was a load tearing sound, and Raven seemed to shimmer slightly, then slowly faded away, leaving no trace what so ever.

Jinx could only stare helplessly as the Mad Mod stared at the blank space that had once held Raven and screamed, "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Fade to black...

To be continued.

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	6. Chapter 6

Last Bell by King Cheetah

Part Six - Schools Out

I cry myself to sleep each night knowing that I own none of these characters...

Rated PG-13, Robin/Raven and Beast Boy/Jinx pairings. Starfire and Terra with probably get drunk and do something goofy at some point.

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Raven felt as though she'd tossed from an airplane and beaten with sticks every inch of the way down to the ground. Struggling to sit upright, she began to get a sense of her surroundings, odd though they be. The room was large, damp and dimly lit, she could tell that much right off the bat, but her eyes were drawn to the squat, humming machine in the center of the room, then to the various inert forms scattered around it.

Rising unsteadily to her feet, she recognized the bodies to be her team mates, each apparently in deep slumber, or so Cyborg's snoring indicated. As she regained more of her faculties, she began to understand all that she was seeing. All of the Titans, plus Jinx and Mammoth lay around the infernal device on the bare concrete floor of what looked to be an old warehouse or storage locker.

Kneeling beside Jinx, she noticed an odd device stuck to her forehead. Sleek and high-tech, it was about four inches long and gently curved to fit the shape of her little friends skull. Her... friend. Wait, no. This was Jinx, and yet...

Looking around, each of the Titans wore a similar device, all evidently in deep slumber. What was all this about, she thought. As she turned to stand, her foot brushed against something, which she found to be another one of the slim devices. Brushing a hand across her forehead, she quickly realized that this was the device that she herself had been wearing.

Rising, she turned her attention to the large device in the room's center. The room itself was a bleak and depressing affair, for places just like people, can give up hope, and this grim pile of bricks had given in to despair long ago.

Gingerly stepping over friend and foe alike, she approached the device, a sphere about five feet in diameter with a monitor set in it's upper facing, displaying a telltale of each person behind her on the floor. Looking closely, she saw a blinking red dot next to her name and looked down at the damaged device in her hand.

Virtual reality.

Of course, that explained everything, but... no it didn't . It explained nothing.

Her hand lightly traced along the smooth upper edge of the VR unit, which was warm to the touch, emitting an almost comforting purr. She marveled at this thing and the world it was creating for them when something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention; another body slumped against the farside of the device. Slowly, she stepped to the far side of the device to get a better view of this fellow traveler. Wearing an elaborate helmet with wires connecting it the central unit, an old man sat against the device when suddenly she realized who it was in one horrified instant; Mad Mod.

Gasping, she covered her mouth and began backing away slowly, as she fought to control her breathing. Mad Mod.

Okay, okay calm down. It was Mad Mod. He had them all and placed them into a virtual reality matrix, but now she was out of it.

Fine. Great. Gotta get everyone else out. Find Robin, gotta wake up Robin...

No, a tiny voice in her head said softly, get Jinx. You need to get Jinx up.

Hesitantly, she stooped by her sleeping over the sleeping form of her little friend and ran her fingers over the device on her forehead. Biting her lip, she was suddenly wracked with doubt; would it hurt Jinx to just simply remove this thing from her head? Having survived the experience herself, she took a deep breath and yanked it away with a jerk. Jinx seem to tense all at once, then jerk a few times, then finally relax.

Groaning, Jinx twitched twice and slowly began to stir from her slumber.

"Jinx!" whispered Raven hoarsely, "Jinx get it together, we're in big trouble. JINX!"

"Uuuuuuggghhh... Rrrrraven? W-wha-" Jinx croaked softly as she reached up to touch her arm.

"No time." she said, dragging a rather flaccid Jinx to her feet, "You gotta help me get these things off everybody, quick. We don't have much time. We gotta get everyone up before he wakes up."

"What? Raven, where the heck are we? What's going on?" asked Jinx softly.

"Mad Mod kidnapped us and was holding us in virtual reality. We gotta-"

"Who?" asked Jinx, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Mad... this crazy old guy. We gotta get everyone out of here before he wakes up." said Raven, now really starting to stress.

Removing the head pieces from Robin and Beast Boy, they set about the complete their task, quickly removing the head pieces from each of their comrades and rousing them as best they could. Jinx was just getting Cyborg to his feet when the VR unit began to make several rather alarming beeping noises. Craning her head to look at the telemitry screen, Raven could see that the unit was initiating a shutdown routine. He's figured out that we're gone, she thought. Mad Mod would be awake in a just a moment.

Frantically, desperately they tried to get all the captives on their feet, and began to look about hurriedly for some kind of exit.

"Not... so fast, my duckies." said the Mad Mod as standing fully erect, he removed his control helmet, "I'll admit that that lit'l test run of the unit wasn't without it's cockups, but all in all I'm right pleased with it none the less. Once I get you lot tucked snuggly back to bed, we'll start'er up fresh and 'ave another go at it." he drawled with a toothy grin.

"Only this time, I think we'll make a few exciting changes. Raven and Jinx were just a little too clever this time around, so I think you'll be bitter enemies this time, I think. And Beast Boy's self esteem is FAR too high, so we're just nip that in the bud, we will. Won't do to go 'aving a big head now, will it. And I think a nice drug addiction for Terra will round out things nicely, I do. Care to shake hands with Mr. Horse, sweetums?" said Mad Mod with a toothy grin.

"We can't do this. We're in no shape to take him on." whispered Raven.

"I know." said Robin softly, then to Mod, "You think we're just going to go back in there?"

Holding up his hypno-dazzler, he fired it up and grinned, "Well now, it hadn't even occurred to me to ask you. Bedtime kiddies, it's a school night."

Caught in the beams pulsing waves, Raven felt all of her energy leaving her, like being emptied of all will power. No, not like this, she thought, it can't end like this, as she cast a tearful look over to Jinx. Her best friend... forever. Steeling herself, she summoned all her reserve and began to chant,"Averoth... Me...tri...on... Zzzziiiinnnnn... "

Suddenly, her eye caught a glint of something moving out from the darkness behind Mad Mod. A hand shot straight out from the darkened recess behind him, grabbed his shoulder and spun him around violently, slinging the hypnotic dazzler over to one corner with a clatter. His assailant was slightly larger than Mod, with an odd blue suit and a ridiculously oversized top hat. His lips stretched back from his overbite into an inhuman grin as he said, "If there's one thing I can't abide, it's a thief." There was no describing the look of raw terror on Mad Mod's face as he gazed at the mystery man, who pulled him into the darkened corner of the room.

Raven looked over at Robin, who's face had gone ashen as he screamed, "RUN!"

Spinning on their heels, the eight youths dashed towards the wall behind then. Cyborg made a hole, Mammoth made it bigger, and they all made it out into the parking lot. Two blocks away, they finally stopped running, and paused at a street corner to catch their breath. It was evening, about 7:00 PM by best guess. As Raven massaged Jinx's twisted ankle, Cyborg looked at Robin and asked, "Who the heck was that Willie Wonka lookin' dude that just saved our asses?"

"The Mad Hatter." shuddered Robin, "I didn't even like dealing with that psycho when I had the Batman standing right next me. He's only SLIGHTLY less dangerous than the Joker." as he nervously looked back over his shoulder.

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Where else but Jump City could eight super powered youths wander into a Denny's and not arouse much interest?

It was one of the newest in town and reflected the local architect's fascination with the forgotten futures for thing one would seem like home to Ming The Merciless. Looking over the menus of tomorrow, they all opted for breakfast choices and coffee, except Beast Boy who had veggie stir fry and a side of black depression. Their seating choices oddly reflected the shared reality they'd just escaped, though none of them seemed aware of this move.

Raven and Jinx sat opposite each other, with Robin and Beast Boy at their sides. Cyborg and Mammoth sat facing Terra and Starfire, who looked as though she were attending a funeral. The dinner was a halting sullen affair, as Robin gave his best guess at what had just happened to them.

"The nutty guy that saved our bacon was the Mad Hatter, one of the guys we used to have no end of trouble from in Gotham City. Thinking about what we just saw, I'm guessing that Mad Mod somehow stole or got ahold of one of the Hatter's dream engines, though how that happened is anyone's guess." he paused to look about for their waitress.

"So Mod has this thing and decides that it's time for a rematch and catches Mammoth and Jinx in the bargain. Fine, the more the merrier. He could care less. But the Hatter's dream engine doesn't come with an owners manual, so Mod'll need to do some test runs to get a handle on how to operate this. That's what we were just doing, a test run or so I'm guessing." as the waitress freshened his coffee.

"Hold on, if this guy's such a whackjob, why'd he make the sim so... cool? I mean, y'know Jump Town was REALLY nice." said Terra as she took an extra big bite of her omelet. Looking to her left, she caught a quick look at Starfire who was busied moving food about her plate, but never off of it. She's spiralling down, Terra thought.

"He didn't." said Robin, sugaring his coffee, "What I don't think Mod understood is how Hatter's equipment works. I mean, I've been in Hatter's sims twice before, and each time they were oddly... similar. It's... it's hard to describe, but when you're inside it, everything just seems to make sense, but once you're out it all looks kind of weird." Robin said as he tried to order his thoughts. "We had a few run ins with this guy before you joined the team, and he's all about head games. The only thing he seems really interested in is jerking us around."

"Rather than create an artificial world and try to convince us it's the real thing, his machine taps your brain's dream centers and asks it what you'd like to see." he paused to attempt some alchemy with the cream, "We were all dreaming that stuff. It was just lucid, structured dreams, but still just dreams none the less. That's why the Mad Hatter's sims always work so well. Our subconscious minds weren't fighting against the images like you get in real virtual reality. This was showing your brain exactly what it wanted to see, so it never fought it. That's how our personalities got totally buried. We were HAPPY to be these other versions of ourselves." and the various Jump towners nodded their understanding.

"So, Jump Town was this perfect little town that we all wanted to live in, is that it?" asked Mammoth, "I didn't think we'd all be on the same wavelength like that." There were a few nervous chuckles around the table, but they quickly faded.

"It was a combination of all of our perfect choices. The machine just picked the points of the most overlap and built off of that. But yeah, I guess we were all pretty much on the same page." Robin smiled weakly. During the conversation, he subtly cast a quick eye around the table to scrutinize his companions.

All were understandably exhausted, but there seemed to be more to it, not merely physically tired, but also wasted in spirit. A lot happened in the sim, and a lot happened that no one would have expected. They're all thinking the same thing, he thought. We were different there, but... better. We were who we all really wanted to be, doing what we all really wanted to do. Even himself.

But of all around the table, Beast Boy seemed the most down. Jinx, ever his soulmate sensed this and was doing her best to cheer him, and to his credit, he pretended that it helped just to take her mind off of her own concerns. Robin knew him well enough inside or outside of Jump Town to see his inner turmoil. Finally, Beast Boy rose from the table and said, "Um, I'm gonna run across the street real quick. I'll um, be right back."

"Ooh, don't be long. I might want dessert." smiled Jinx, as nodding, he bent over and kissed her. Both froze and looked about embarrassed. Shrugging a little, Beast boy took off on his errand. Still somewhat disconcerted, Jinx looked sadly up at Raven, who after a moment returned the look.

"So... what now?" asked Raven, trying her best to sound in control, "You think Mad Mod will try this trick again?"

Robin was quiet for too long, "Trust me, we're never going to see Mad Mod again. But the Hatter is a different matter." then the silence again. "The Mad Hatter takes slights VERY personally, no matter how small."

"Damn." muttered Mammoth as he elbowed Cyborg, "We were gonna take your dad's boat out the lake next weekend. This sucks."

"I was going to make Sunday dinner with my grandmother. I've been looking forward to this all week." sighed Raven as she remembered all she wanted to learn from the wisened matriarch of her family.

"I had boobs." said Terra glumly.

"Yeah." sighed Mammoth and Cyborg.

"Yeah, well get used to it." said Beast Boy harshly. He'd returned from his mystery errand and if anything was in a worse mood than before. He just stood at the head of the table glowering as he handed Jinx a small package, "We're back in the real world now, so just forget all that crap. Forget our families, forget our lives," he looked down at Jinx, "Forget everything. Jump Town is just gonna to be a scab we pick at for years."

He pulled out a crumpled twenty dollar bill and tossed it on the table, "Reality BITES. I'm going home." and stormed off.

Unsure what to do, Jinx looked after Beast Boy, then back to Raven, then jumped up, "Gar, wait!" and took off after him.

Those at the table were trying their best to pretend that this wasn't happening, or more precisely, that what Beast Boy had said wasn't exactly what they were all feeling right now.

"So, what was causing all the weird glitches in the system. Was that Mad Hatter?" asked Cyborg.

This brought a small smile to Robin's lips, "Heh heh... I thought so at first, but now I'm pretty sure that it was Jinx."

Every eye at the table raised. "Well, Jinx and Beast Boy, at any rate. I thought about it and from the girls descriptions, Jinx and BB were always together when the hiccups happened. Whenever he'd get her... uh, excited, she was subtly sparking with her powers. Mod didn't think to compensate for this, so there you are."

"Hold on now. What the heck were those two doing that made my whole party crash?" asked Cyborg.

Raven just looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and he was suddenly sorry he'd asked.

She looked back to Robin, "And the Shadow Man?"

"I think that was the Hatter." he said softly, "Once he found us, I'm guessing he was curious as to what was going on. Since he designed the machine, it was nothing for him to slip into the sim unnoticed and poke around. When Jinx was sparking, it didn't make him visible, but it made him... evident. That's what you were seeing."

"And... and why was he following me?" she asked hesitantly, but Robin had no answer for this.

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Despite her pleas, Beast Boy refused to slow his pace or look at her, but she caught up to him none the less.

"Gar wait, we need to talk." she cried.

Stopping, he turned to face her, "Go home Jinx. None of that stuff matters now. We're back in the real world. So it's time to get on with our lives, just like before."

She looked on the verge of tears as she clutched his package, "Gar... don't. We..."

"We what?!" he cried, "News flash Jinx, we're on different sides out here. You think we can just ignore that?"

She couldn't answer him for a time as she fought back the tears, but finally asked, "What's this for?" holding up the package he'd given her.

This seemed to drain all of his fury, as he took her hand, "I promised you that I'd find you that CD. I didn't want my memories of Jump Town spoiled with a broken promise." and he managed a slight smile. He offered no protest as she reached up to kiss him, and that kiss led to two more. Parting, he squeezed her hand and said softly, "Go home Jinx."

"But Gar-"

"There's no Gar Logan in Jump City, Jinx. Just Beast Boy." he said and turned to leave.

The tears came freely now as she watched him disappear into the evening shadows. Turning, she headed back towards the Denny's as she examined her new most cherished possession.

Slipping it from the bag, she looked down at the CD; "Siouxsie and the Banshees - A Kiss In The Dreamhouse".

Fade to black...

To be continued... (sort of) 


	7. Epilogue

Last Bell by King Cheetah 

The Ending that you never saw

I cry myself to sleep each night knowing that I own none of these characters...

Rated PG-13, Robin/Raven and Beast Boy/Starfire pairings. Starfire and Wonder Girl with probably get drunk again and do something goofy at some point.

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Greetings and thanks to everyone for the kind letters and reviews; I'm glad you're all enjoying the story. At the time that I started writing Last Bell, I was a little concerned that my plots were meandering wildly about and needed a little focus (which was true), so I set a series of goals for myself concerning number of chapters, chapter length, and word count. In retrospect, this was going a little overboard, or at the very least I shouldn't have decided to do this on Last Bell. But I did, and as a result, I ended up making A LOT of compromises to the story, and whole subplots were dropped. For example, the chapter about Cyborg's party was two whole chapters, and didn't even get up to the part where Mad Mod is terrorizing Raven and Jinx in the bathroom.

At the party, you'd see that someone was masquerading as other people to stir up trouble between Robin, Raven, and Starfire which even weirds out Mad Mod (who still can't figure out who Shadow Man is). Robin would break up a fight between two drunken assholes, Cyborg would attempt another reconciliation with his Ex, Lea Camerone, and you'd learn a bit more about what Mammoth is all about. Due to the machinations of the Shadow Man, Raven becomes convinced that Robin is fooling around with Starfire, Robin becomes convinced that Raven is fooling around with another guy, and things look ugly. Suddenly, you have the phase shift, all the party goers disappear, and our heroes are snapped back to their senses.

So, will I be adding this back in? Possibly. I'll be honest with you, I'm a little bored with both Last Bell and Birds Of A Feather, and I want to finish them off, but I don't want to rush them just to get them out of my hair. Last Bell has two chapters left to finish off the storyline and Birds Of A Feather has three, and I want to do a good job on them, BUT... I'm REALLY itchy to get to my new stories. I'm currently working on one called "Man Down" about how the Titans deal with the death of Cyborg, then "Black Tower" about Robin and Raven's frightful battle with Phobia in the deserted Titans Tower.

So then, what's this all about? Wellllll... Digging through my files I came across the OLD ending to Last Bell. Guess what? It was suppose to end with chapter six (I think that kind of shows...) and this was to be the epilogue. Beast Boy gives Jinx the CD, walks off into the darkness, and Jinx returns to the H.I.V.E., and everyone reluctantly goes back to their lives. And there it ends... or does it? I caved to pressure from fans of the story to show the aftermath of our heroes time in the dream world and admittedly it did give me a chance to do some fun character stuff.

So as a little treat until I get the last real chapters of Last Bell together, here's a look at the original, not quite so unhappy ending. Enjoy!

OOOOO-----OOOOO

Last Bell by King Cheetah

Truth and Consequences

The following morning brought a somehow fittingly overcast sky and sultry humid air. The promise of rain, but real life, as in Jump Town was full of broken promises. Raven could do little more than sit at the foot of her bed staring out the window at the teasing prospect of relief, but it was only a tease. She knew deep within her that this weather would never make good on it's promise of cool showers. She sat half dressed in her costume, but then only because she'd never fully undressed the night before. She slept, but felt no rest, and worst of all she didn't dream, as evidently the Mad Hatters dream engine had used all her dreams up.

Jump Town.

The sleepy little town in which she grew up, only she never did. This somewhere else, this Brigadoon was haunting her, and she guessed, her team mates as well. Beast Boy had been right, Jump Town was a scab at which she'd pick constantly, forever remembering thing that never happened to people who never were. She fell backwards onto her bed, tears at the ready. For the first time in her life she knew genuine despair. Her life in Jump Town was everything she'd ever wanted in life. A loving family, self confidence, a good home, friends and... the perfect guy in her life. Here in this world she felt... alone. Truly alone.

Oh how she wished Jinx were here, even if only to talk to, if only to vent and get this off her chest. Jinx, her soulmate and partner in crime. Jinx, best friends forever... never to be. How could this all be a lie? Her memories of her life in Jump Town were so vivid, so REAL. More real than the world around her. How could she be expected to cope with this?

She sat bolt upright as a knock at her door jarred her from her introspection. Composing herself, she rose to answer it.

As she slip the bedroom door open, her room became bathed in the soft amber light of the hallway and the sweet face of Robin. Evidently, night had provided little actual rest, as he had a rough, wild look to him. But what caught her attention the most was his mask, or more precisely his lack of one. He stood there in sweat pants and t-shirt, tussled hair and that sad, puppy dog look in his eyes, and she suddenly felt her knees go weak.

"Um... hey." he said softly, seemingly not sure of what to say or how to say it. "Uh, how're you feeling? You get any sleep last night?"

His tone was flat as this was so obviously not what he wanted to ask her. Leading him into her room, she said quietly, "No... no, not really. I mean, I went to sleep, but it didn't help. Y'see I was- "

Suddenly, each realized that they'd slipped their arms around the other's waist as they walked, and with a start, parted and laughed nervously. Sighing heavily, Raven sat on her bed, subtly making sure to leave enough room the invite Robin to join her. He looked at her, and after a small eternity of internal debate, joined her.

His turn for the heavy sigh, "Well, it probably wasn't what Mad Mod was shooting for, but he REALLY screwed us up."

"What do you mean?" she asked as she debated putting her hand over his.

"I've been in the Mad Hatters simulations before, and each time there was... after effects." She cocked her head a little as he continued, "Y'see, this thing doesn't even bother with going through your normal sensory matrix, it writes directly onto your brain. That's why all our "memories" of Jump Town seem so vivid."

He paused to look at her and this seemed to derail whatever else he had to say. Returning his gaze, she slowly reached up to kiss him.

"N-no!" he gasped as he leapt off the bed. Seeing her expression, he gathered himself, "Raven, I'm sorry, but Jump Town wasn't real. You just have to keep reminding yourself of that. We're back in the real world and-"

She was on her feet in a second, "NO! No it isn't. This isn't the life I should be living, THAT was. That was the life that I deserve! I'll never stop believing that, no matter what you say. That was my REAL life. That was the person I'm suppose to be, not this!" She was almost out of breath, and Robin found it hard to give her much of a sincere debate,

"Raven, please..." he pleaded

"You said it yourself, it wasn't Mad Mod that saw how right we are together, it was the machine. You agree with me! You know how you feel." she said breathlessly.

"And what makes you think that I want to believe this?" he asked softly, a touch of longing in his voice.

For the first time that morning, she smiled, "Where's your costume? Where's your mask? You NEVER go ANYWHERE without your mask." He matched her smile as he considered saying something, but passed on the moment, letting her drive her point home, "You didn't come here as Robin, you came as Tim Drake. You can say whatever you want to, but I know how I feel when we're together, and I'm NOT giving that away. Not EVER. Face it mister, you're stuck with me."

He chuckled softly, but said nothing. Turning, he made his way to the door, a new serenity on his face, "I'm... gonna go get dressed and check on the others. I'll see you in a little while, okay?"

Just as he reached the door, she called out softly to him, "I love you Tim."

He stiffened, then seemed to sag a bit. Without looking back, he said quietly, "We'll get together this evening and talk about this. Oh, and... could you please not call me Tim in front of the others?" Giggling, she agreed and he was gone. Finally, a dim ray of hope amidst all the heartbreak of this experience. A new spring in her step, she glid and flitted about her room, straightening things not crooked and dusting things free of dust, just as her desk com trilled to life with an incoming call.

If it's him, I flash him, she grinned. Hitting accept, she was stunned to see not Robin's face on the screen... but rather that of Jinx.

"J-Jinxsie?" stammered Raven.

"Um, Hi. I-Is this a good time?" said the little witch, almost apologetically. Judging from the decor, Raven guessed that Jinx was calling from somewhere within the H.I.V.E., but seemed to be alone.

"Don't worry, this is a secure line. No one know's I'm calling. Well, I mean, Mammoth knows, but I mean that nobody else in here does-" Jinx sputtered as she constantly looked around her.

Grabbing a chair, Raven parked herself in front of the vid-phone.

"Hey Girl, slow down! Oh god, it's so good to see you. I really need- " Raven paused, realizing what she was about to say, "I really needed to... talk to my best friend."

"Your...?" Jinx said, barely above a whisper.

"Yeah," Raven grinned, "Best friends forever. Wasn't that the pledge?" Jinx was so happy, she looked on the verge of tears. Somehow, Raven thought, we'll make all this work. We were all to good together to not be friends in the real world too. One step at a time, but she'd seen what all of them were capable of, and would work to make it happen.

Fade to black...

THE END.


End file.
